Trail Overview
Leavenworth Creek Road begins at the historic Waldorf townsite and climbs high onto McClellan Mountain through the former Argentine Mining District. Much of the route follows the historic grade of the Argentine Central Railroad, which once climbed McClellan Mountain to serve area mines while also carrying tourists into the high country. The surroundings quickly transition from scattered spruce and fir near Waldorf into open alpine terrain dominated by grasses, low shrubs, rocky slopes, and expansive tundra. Numerous mine tailings, abandoned workings, and other remnants of the area's mining history can be seen along the way. The dirt and gravel surface becomes increasingly rocky as the route climbs, with long sections of loose and embedded stone. Much of the road is only one vehicle wide as it traverses steep mountainsides. Near the upper elevations, the route provides exceptional panoramic views across the Leavenworth Creek valley, surrounding basins, Continental Divide, and distant mountain ranges before climbing to more than 13,000 feet on McClellan Mountain. There is no fixed seasonal motorized closure listed for this route, but heavy snow typically limits access during the winter and spring. Summer through early fall generally provides the most reliable access, although lingering snow can remain into early summer and early-season snow may return in the fall.
Difficulty
The route includes sustained grades with extensive loose and embedded rock, erosion, shallow ruts, and increasingly rough rocky sections as elevation increases. Much of the route is only one vehicle wide along exposed mountainsides with limited room to pass or maneuver, requiring careful tire placement, but there are no major technical obstacles under normal dry conditions.
History
The mountains above Georgetown and Silver Plume contain an extensive network of historic mining, wagon-road, and railroad corridors. Silver discoveries in the Argentine district began in the 1860s, and wagon toll roads were constructed through the Leavenworth Creek drainage and across Argentine Pass beginning in 1869, providing an important early connection between Georgetown and mining communities west of the Continental Divide. Transportation changed again in the early 1900s with construction of the three-foot narrow-gauge Argentine Central Railway. Beginning at the Colorado & Southern connection at Silver Plume, the railroad climbed through the mining district to Waldorf and ultimately reached Mount McClellan. The line used steep grades, sharp curves, switchbacks, and Shay locomotives to negotiate the mountains while hauling ore and carrying tourists into the high country. Clear Creek County records the railway opening to Waldorf in 1906, and historical documentation shows that portions of today's roads through the area occupy or closely follow the former railroad grade.
