St. Peter's Dome

[zzzippper]

Is anyone aware of this area near CO Springs? It is supposed to be a place for rock hounds. We went there Friday but it was gated off and a sign said it was closed due to flood damage and there was no access to public land.

Any idea if it will ever open up? The gate looked VERY permanent.

[Zundfolge]

Old Stage Road (which connects to Gold Camp Road) is closed due to flooding damage, I heard they were supposed to re-open the road in April (which is almost over). edit: Found this (http://adm.elpasoco.com/publicservices/transportation/pages/RoadProjectDetail.aspx?ProjectId=86)on the county's web site.

I think you can get to St Peter's Dome from the other side, if you take US 24 up through Woodland Park and turn left on 67 at Divide taking it all the way down to the intersection with 81/64 (basically you go straight instead of turning right with 67 which goes to Cripple Creek) almost all the way to Victor you can get on Gold Camp Road from that side.

Here's the route from CR 81 to Colorado Springs from west to east.
(https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.7439534,-105.1010643/38.743945,-105.1010965/Colorado+Springs,+CO/@38.7432882,-105.0963706,14z/data=!4m10!4m9!1m0!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x8713412ea1e6d22 b:0x418eeb92f5e86b13!2m2!1d-104.8213634!2d38.8338816!3e1)
Here's the route from Colorado Springs through Woodland Park to the other end of Gold Camp Road. (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.7439534,-105.1010643/38.743945,-105.1010965/Colorado+Springs,+CO/@38.8690524,-105.128803,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m10!4m9!1m0!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x8713412 ea1e6d22b:0x418eeb92f5e86b13!2m2!1d-104.8213634!2d38.8338816!3e0)

Yeah, the closures of Old Stage Road and Rampart Range Road (closed because of Waldo Canyon Fire) are real annoying ... the whole reason I bought a Jeep in the first place was to drive up both those roads and they both got closed before I had the chance to go https://www.ar-15.co/images/smilies/frown.png


Side note, if you're going to be that close to Victor, you should drive in to town, go to the Gold Camp Bakery (https://goo.gl/maps/LyVQM)and order a their Bienenstich (aka "Bee Sting" ... German dessert, very good, one serving is big enough for two people). Nifty little bakery run by this German lady. (just noticed that Google Maps puts them about a block too far north, they're across the street and south of Victor Ave not north of it ... its a small town, you can't miss it)

[zzzippper]

Thanks, you made the perfect response the first time and just made it better! How did you come up with those GPS coordinates?

We drove down Friday, hoping to take a try at rock hounding. Ended up going to the zoo which was very nice.

[Zundfolge]

I got the GPS coords just from poking around on Google Maps.

The zoo is nice, did you happen to drive up to the Will Rogers Shrine?

[zzzippper]

No we did the zoo then had lunch at the brewery. Walked across the parking lot to the Ghost Town Museum, a tourist trap but one of the nicer ones I've seen. There is so much to do around Manitou Springs we have a list of things to do. We're already planning another day trip, I'll make sure Will R. is on the list. Oh wait, is the the shrine that is castle looking that looms over the zoo?

[Zundfolge]

Yes, the shrine is the tower that looms over the zoo, admission to the shrine is covered by the price to get into the zoo. You get to drive through the zoo to get to it too which is kinda cool. That said, paying a full zoo admission just to see the shrine probably isn't worth it.

http://www.cmzoo.org/aboutZoo/history/willRogersShrine.asp
(http://www.cmzoo.org/aboutZoo/history/willRogersShrine.asp)

After visiting the shrine I'm convinced that Spencer Penrose was gay. :p

[zzzippper]

After visiting the shrine I'm convinced that Spencer Penrose was gay. :p

He certainly looks "dashing"!

[Lurch]

Bunch of places up around Cripple Creek and Tarryall. We have found a few nice things but also we are just getting started ourselves. If you have little kids I can tell you about a place you can literally drive to and step out and collect purple feldspar or at least thats what someone told us it was.

[zzzippper]

No kids but I'm old enough not to want to hike so please share.

We're so new we can't tell a diamond from sandstone.

[MattR]

I heard the Broadmoor bought Old Stage and Gold Camp, the parts that are closed anyway and are fixing them for their use only. It seems like 7 Falls too. The city of Colo Springs of course has no money and are too stupid to find tax revenue...such as pot. If pot is legal may as well tax the shit out of it and get something out of it.

[CapLock]

I've got connections if you want to buy some of them rocks. I have family that is "HARDCORE" into mining the minerals of that area. They have claims and dig with heavy equipment during the summer.

[Lurch]

Here is the place I was talking about.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1166813,-105.4796942,906m/data=!3m1!1e3.
The place is in between the second and third 31's on the map. You can see a little path running up to the cut.

Also a little farther north is Spruce Grove Campground. You can ask the campground guide where to look for Topaz. It's a pretty good hike in there but I have heard you can find samples the size of softballs. We haven't found any that size but a couple nice 1-2 inch ones.

[Zundfolge]

I heard the Broadmoor bought Old Stage and Gold Camp, the parts that are closed anyway and are fixing them for their use only. It seems like 7 Falls too.

I know the Broadmoor bought 7 Falls, but I seriously doubt they bought (or even could buy) Old Stage and Gold Camp roads. Their stables are up Old Stage road so I figured that would get the repairs done faster.

[baglock1]

I think you can get to St Peter's Dome from the other side, if you take US 24 up through Woodland Park and turn left on 67 at Divide taking it all the way down to the intersection with 81/64 (basically you go straight instead of turning right with 67 which goes to Cripple Creek) almost all the way to Victor you can get on Gold Camp Road from that side.

I spoke with the Broadmoor Stables awhile back and they indicated it was closed from the Cripple Creek side as well. I haven't verified that anywhere else.

[HoneyBadger]

Any updates on this? I can't find any reliable information via google... Is Gold Camp Rd still completely closed?

[Aloha_Shooter]

After visiting the shrine I'm convinced that Spencer Penrose was gay. :p

He certainly was gay but the word had a different meaning and connotation in those days.

[bkincaid]

Any updates on this? I can't find any reliable information via google... Is Gold Camp Rd still completely closed?

Still closed, supposedly open in September: http://www.krdo.com/news/county-old-stage-road-set-to-open-in-late-september/26886186

[HoneyBadger]

Still closed, supposedly open in September: http://www.krdo.com/news/county-old-stage-road-set-to-open-in-late-september/26886186
Thanks.