Red Cliff Overlook

By denver-gazette August 12, 2016 | updated 10 years ago

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Things To Do

Motorcycle-riding Off-road-vehicles Sightseeing

Red Cliff Overlook is a gravel pullout on the south side of U.S. Highway 24 between Leadville and Minturn by Interstate 70. The spectacular viewpoint sits high above the Eagle River Canyon and offers a look across at the Red Cliff Bridge, a 471-foot-long cantilevered steel arch bridge—the only one in the state. The deck of the bridge is 200 feet above the confluence of Turkey and Homestake creeks, which join here to form the Eagle River. The bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, opened to traffic in 1941. A tall cliff above the overlook and highway is composed of quartzite deposited on the shore of an ancient sea, with limestone layers above it. The historic mining town of Red Cliff, founded in 1879, is a half-mile east of the bridge in Turkey Creek’s canyon.

Pro Tips

Red Cliff nestles in the canyon east of the overlook. The quaint town is the jumping off point if you want to explore Shrine Pass and its views of Mount of the Holy Cross. The cross country ski route from Red Cliff over Shrine Pass to Vail Pass is superb. Mango’s Mountain Grill serves great food, including fish tacos, a pretzel burger, and smoked buffalo bratwurst. The Green Bridge Inn is an overnight alternative to pricey Vail, with 14 rooms and great views across town.

Some good climbing cliffs are south of Red Cliff Overlook. Fraggle Rock, Roof Rock, and the Hornsilver crags have both bolted routes and toprope climbs with a variety of grades. Farther south up Homestake Creek are more cliffs with bolted sport routes. The Klettergarden south of the bridge has the area’s best bouldering.

The Homestake Creek valley south of the overlook is filled with beaver ponds and the meandering creek. Hornsilver Campground makes a great overnight stop if you’re climbing or trout fishing. A few miles farther south is 21-site Camp Hale Memorial Campground on the site of old Camp Hale, the World War II training ground for the famed 10th Mountain Division.

Gilman is an abandoned mining town a few miles north of the overlook off U.S. 24. The town grew with lead and zinc mining until the mines closed in the 1980s. Afterward, the town was designated a Superfund cleanup site because of contamination. The ghost town is private property so stop at an overlook opposite it for photos.

Recommended season(s): Year-round.

—Stewart M. Green

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