Outdoor Summer Adventures: Your Ultimate Mountain Basecamp Near Central City

Whether you are hauling off-road vehicles up the canyon, packing your mountain bikes, or planning a weekend of whitewater rafting, our vacation rental home is the ultimate basecamp for your Colorado summer vacation. With ample parking space for small-to-medium toy trailers and rapid access to high-alpine trails, you can spend less time commuting and more time out in the wild.

Gilpin and Clear Creek counties offer endless high-country thrills just minutes from our front door. Here is your complete guide to the best summer outdoor activities near Central City, Black Hawk, and Idaho Springs.

ATV & Off-Road Trails: Ride Yankee Hill & Beyond

Bring your trailers—endless 4x4 trails start right up the road.

If you are traveling with ATVs, UTVs, dirt bikes, or built 4x4s, you have come to the right place. Central City is surrounded by some of the Front Range’s most legendary off-road trail systems. Here are three favorite routes located close to the MacFarlane Home: 

• Yankee Hill OHV Route: Connecting Central City all the way to Alice and St. Mary’s Glacier, the Yankee Hill Road network offers miles of rugged rocky climbs, wildflower-filled high-alpine basins, and sweeping views of the Continental Divide. It features routes for beginner 4-wheelers to heavily modified rock crawlers.
  
• Apex Road Loop: Apex is a mining ghost town rich with history and old cemeteries. Some people still live here on private property, but along the trail you'll see wildflower meadows, mining town ruins, and high-altitude willows. 
  
• Pickle Gulch & Dakota Hill: Right outside town, explore historic ghost town mining roads like Nevadaville Loop and Apex Road, where you can navigate miles of scenic forest service trails past 19th-century mining ruins.

And there's even more. Our vacation home is a great basecamp for all the ATV / UTV / OHV trails in Clear Creek County and near Idaho Springs. Great options in the area include Devil's Canyon, the Ute & Cascade Loop, Trail Creek, Saxon Mountain, Jones Pass, Fall River Reservoir, Loch Lohmand, and more. Learn more on Clear Creek County's website: Off-Road ATV Trails and Top Four-Wheeling Trails, or your favorite Trail Guide website. 

A Vacation Home With Parking for ATV or Snowmobile Trailers

As an off-road enthusiast you probably know how hard it can be to park your toy trailer. But our vacation home features a large private parking lot that can easily fit a small to medium trailer, as long as you're relatively good at backing it up. For longer trailers, there's a larger public lot just a couple hundred feet up the road (but you'll need to back into that as well). 

Experience Off-Roading With NativeJeeps

If you've always wanted to go offroading but don't have an ATV or 4WD vehicle, you're in luck. We're excited to welcome NativeJeeps to Central City & Black Hawk! This unique opportunities lets you drive a 4WD Jeep while they guide you along the awesome trails we mentioned above. No prior experience necessary. Learn More And Book Your Experience Here.

World-Class Hiking, Biking, & Adventure

From singletrack downhill flow trails to high-alpine glaciers.

Hiking & Biking Trails near our Central City Vacation Home

• Maryland Mountain & Hidden Treasure Trails (Black Hawk): Just two miles away, this 600-acre trail system features 15 miles of multi-use singletrack for hikers and mountain bikers. Bikers shouldn't miss Hard Money, Fast Money, and the expert-level Powder Keg—three bike-only, downhill-only flow trails that descend over 1,000 vertical feet!
  
• Golden Gate Canyon State Park: Located just 15 minutes away in Gilpin County, this park boasts 35 miles of scenic hiking trails, dense aspen groves, and panoramic vistas at Panorama Point.
  
• St. Mary’s Glacier Trail: A quick, highly rewarding 1.5-mile roundtrip hike up to a pristine alpine lake tucked beneath a year-round snowfield—perfect for a morning excursion before afternoon activities.

The Brand-New Mighty Argo Cable Car & Virginia Canyon Mountain Park 

Just over the hill in Idaho Springs is the brand-new Mighty Argo Cable Car. Hop aboard Idaho Springs' new 10-passenger gondola for a scenic 1.25-mile ride up to Miners Point. Soaring 1,300 feet above town, the summit offers panoramic views of Mount Blue Sky, a 300-seat outdoor amphitheater, elevated local dining, and direct access to Virginia Canyon Mountain Park. The VCMP features 15 miles of trails great for both walkers and mountain bikers, and pets are welcome too! 

Cliffside Zipline

If you want some amazing views of the Continental Divide and a serious adrenaline rush, definitely check out this zipline tour in Idaho Springs. They drive you up to the cliffs in a zip truck, and from there, you get to cross a few suspension bridges and ride six different ziplines. They even have a dual line so you can race a friend, and the whole thing wraps up with a ride right over Chicago Creek. Learn More and Book This Experience Now.

Mount Blue Sky Via Ferrata Climbing Experience

Get a taste of real mountaineering with this high-energy Via Ferrata adventure! Even if you have never climbed before, specialized safety cables, harnesses, iron rungs, and ladders make scaling these sheer cliffs completely accessible. You will conquer a thrilling route high above Chicago Creek, soak in epic views of Idaho Springs, and cap off the adventure with an action-packed descent using ziplines and a rappel. Learn More and Book This Experience Now.

Whitewater Rafting & Fishing

Cool off on the snowmelt waters of Clear Creek Canyon.

Located just 15 minutes away on the other end of the Central City Parkway is Clear Creek - a haven for water enthusiasts. Spend the day riding rapids and then come home to our vacation home basecamp and listen to our (must smaller) creek babbling along as it winds its way through town (assuming we had a good winter). 

Whitewater Rafting Near Central City, Colorado

Some of the best whitewater rafting on this side of the state is right near our vacation home. Clear Creek runs through steep canyons, offering trip options ranging from beginner-friendly family floats to heart-pumping Class IV and V rapids. There are a lot of outfitters in Idaho Springs, and different tours are well suited to different levels of experience: 

• First-timers can go with with this Beginner Whitewater Rafting Experience with Downstream Adventures.
• For a little more action, try this Intermediate Whitewater Rafting trip (also with Downstream)
• And for an all-day adventure with Class IV-splashiness, go with AVA Rafting's Upper Clear Creek Rafting & Zipline

Fishing Spots Near Central City

For avid anglers, there is some great fishing near our vacation home.  Wet a line in the gold-medal waters of Clear Creek for brown and rainbow trout, or head to Chase Gulch Reservoir right outside Central City for a peaceful afternoon of shore fishing surrounded by pine forests.

If you want to try out fly-fishing, you could get a half-day lesson on Clear Creak. They'll provide all the gear and tackle, and a local angler will show you the best techniques for wading, reading the water, and reeling in your catch. Learn More and Book This Experience.

For even more fishing spots, check out Golden Gate Canyon State Park, which is 20-30 minute drive up the Peak to Peak Highway. Fishing is permitted in any stream or pond here (except the Visitor Center). Kriley Pond has an ADA-accessible fishing pier, and other spots to cast your line include Slough Pond, Dude's Fishing Hole, Forgotten Valley Pond, and Ranch Pond. Ponds are stocked regularly during the spring and summer.

Geothermal Hot Springs: Soak & Recharge

Rest your sore muscles after a long day on the mountain.

After miles of hiking, riding, or paddling, nothing beats a hot geothermal soak before heading back to relax on our private veranda:

• Indian Hot Springs (Idaho Springs): A legendary historic soak featuring a mineral-water swimming pool under a tropical dome, geothermal caves carved into the mountain, private outdoor jacuzzis, and massage services.
  
• Raspberry Hot Springs: Nestled high in the Arapaho National Forest between Central City and Idaho Springs, this private, off-grid wellness sanctuary offers reservation-only soaking tubs with views of 13,000-foot peaks. (Clothing optional, fully private use. 4WD vehicle required.) 

All providers, tour guides, and destinations linked on this page are third-parties and not related to us, we're not responsible for the information on their websites, their sales & fulfillment policies, or the availability of any given activity. We may earn a small commission from some of the bookable experiences we've recommended.