Columbine Road

In 1859, John Gregory discovered gold in a gulch near what became Central City, Colorado and the gold rush was on. Within a few months, the population grew to 10,000 people seeking their fortunes. The area around Central City, Colorado became known as "The Richest Square Mile on Earth." During the late 1800s to early 1900s millions (perhaps billions) of dollar's worth of gold and silver were extracted from the hills of Gilpin County. Columbine Road is the most popular, eastern entry point into the Yankee Hill network that is littered with dozens of offroad trails. This offroad trail is also the most direct route to the Columbine Campground.