The Bachelor Loop Historic and Scenic Byway

Beautiful scenery and historic markers await travelers along the Bachelor Loop route north of Creede. The loop is one of the many ways historic Creede acknowledges and embraces its past as a mining town and the continuation of the mining industry in town.

Maps are available around Creede and are made by the Creede/Mineral County Chamber of Commerce to help people spot important and interesting sites along the 17 mile drive around Bachelor Loop. Another map available from the Willow Creek Reclamation Committee shows where work has been completed along the loop to help cleanup from mining and milling activities.

Along the route visitors will see remnants of historic boom towns that sprang up in the 1890s to accommodate the influx of miners and often their families. The first stop along the tour is at the West Willow/East Willow Creek Junction that marks the original town of Creede that was established at the beginning of the boom.

The tour then goes up toward the old Weaver Town Site where very little evidence remains. The town was established at the bottom of the Amethyst and Last Chance mines. The fifth stop is just up the road and shows where the actual mines are that produced the silver and started the mining boom.

WCRC begins their tour at the Solomon Mine site and then goes up to the Phoenix Park Millsite for the second stop. Along with other organizations the WCRC worked to clean up the remnants of mining in the area.

At the end of the Bachelor Loop tour visitors are directed to where Bob Ford was once buried. Ford traveled to Creede after he had killed Jesse James by shooting him in the back. After he had set up a saloon in town, Ford was killed by a friend of James’ and buried in the cemetery. Ford’s wife then took his body back to Missouri.

The history of Creede is not limited to the Bachelor Loop tour; visitors can find information, photos and more at many locations around town including the Underground Mining Museum and Creede Historical Society.

Early Season Tours
Early season visitors may find that many of the sites along the Loop can only be accessed by the south loop.

In the Movies!
The Lone Ranger was filmed in 2012 on the north route of the Bachelor Loop. When you watch the DVD, watch for the mine scenes filmed here!

Creede Information

Contact WCRC at:
willowcreede.org or 719-658-0178

Creede Historical Society:
creedehistoricalsociety.com

Creede/Mineral County Chamber of Commerce:
Creede.com or 719-658-2374