Creede, Colorado - August 24th, 2023
The advantage of scheduling short travel days is that it gives us the option to check out interesting places along the way. We made a quick stop in Creede the week before as we headed into the Wheeler Geologic Area. We felt the Creede area needed more of our attention so we explored a little more.
Thursday was a travel day, from Hanson’s Mill Campground to Chama in New Mexico. Before we left the Creede area in Colorado, we decided to check out the town. First we drove past the town on US 149, the Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byway. We went as far as the North Clear Creek Falls. There is a viewpoint of the falls down a spur road, just a quarter of a mile from the highway. The falls were very impressive, well worth the half hour drive past Creede.
On the way back to Creede, we wanted to also see the South Clear Creek Falls. There are supposed to be a little smaller and a little less impressive than the North Clear Creek Falls. The quarter mile trail to the falls begins at the back of Silver Thread Campground, a Forest Service campground. When we got there, we read the information board. The campground is a fee area. It was very confusing about whether or not we needed to pay. The printed information talked about the camping fees, with our Senior Lifetime pass good for half off the camping fees. However, then there were a couple of handwritten fees on the sign, a $12 picnic fee and a $10 day use fee, with no mention of interagency passes and whether those would cover the day use fee or not. So we started to fill out a fee envelope just to be on the safe side. The last time we misunderstood the fees, we ended up with a $80 fine. We didn’t have $10 in cash, only $20’s, but we thought we would write a check. Then we noticed the envelope said cash only, no checks. Well, a quarter of a mile trail did not seem worth $20 to us or a possible $80 fine, so we decided to skip the South Clear Creek Falls. You would think that such a highlight attraction listed in Creede’s brochures would be more accessible than that. Or at least warn people in their literature that cash is needed.
The scenery along the Silver Thread Byway more than compensated missing the South Clear Creek Falls. Creede is set in such a beautiful setting. Wide open valleys, with rivers and creeks running through them, surrounded by mountain peaks.
We stopped in Creede to stroll the town. It is a cute, little town. Interesting store fronts line Main Street. The street has a dramatic backdrop at the end of it, where the steep, rocky walls of a canyon rise above the town.
We picked out a place for lunch, Kip’s Grill, as it looked like it had a lot of character. They have been in business a long time. Their specialty seems to be tacos, although they also serve burgers. Keith had one of their daily taco specials, while Ann opted for the enchiladas. They had a salsa bar, with a variety of items to choose from. The food was tasty and has our recommendation.
As we headed back towards South Fork, we stopped at Cottonwood Cove Guest Ranch. On our three trips past it the previous Saturday, we noticed a sign for Amish fried pies. We wanted to pick up a couple of them for desert that evening. However, when we walked in, we found out they were out of pies for the day! Oh no! As a consolation, we had ice cream. Ann had a scoop of huckleberry in a waffle cone while Keith had, of course, a vanilla milkshake. OK, not a bad consolation prize.
On our way back through South Fork, we stopped at the Rainbow Grocery Store to pick up supplies for the next four days. We weren’t sure what the grocery store in Chama was like since Chama is a pretty small town. Having been at Rainbow Groceries before, we knew we could get a decent selection of items.
We were so glad we took the time to check out the Creede area. However, it is on our list of places to come back to. The railbiking in South Fork looked like it would be an interesting experience and the Silver Thread Scenic Byway would be an excellent drive dressed in autumn colors. We might even go see a show at the Creede Repertory Theater.
Check out our related video: Creede, Colorado
(Ann)