The water-powered stamp mills used to process tons of ore coming through town earned Black Hawk the nickname “City of Mills.” When the Colorado Central Railway extended its line to Black Hawk in 1872, establishing a crucial link between the town and the surrounding region, accessing this mountain town became easier than ever. For much of the ride you may doubt you’re going in the right direction, as a city filled with casinos sounds about as unlikely in this remote place as, well, a city of casinos in the middle of the Mojave Desert.īut after its founding in 1859, Black Hawk’s location was considered ideal by prospectors during the Gold Rush, and it quickly became a popular destination for miners and travelers.

Now, getting to Black Hawk requires you to drive about an hour west from Denver along Interstate 70, and then take the zigzagging Route 19 through a narrow mountainous canyon. Here’s everything you need to know about Colorado’s high-altitude Vegas.īlack Hawk’s location might not exactly seem convenient for today’s travelers, but that wasn’t the case when it was founded back in the 19th century. But Black Hawk’s charm lies in its subversion of expectations, and indeed, the fact that it even exists at all does exactly that. Sitting at an elevation of 8,500 feet and surrounded by mountains, the small town doesn’t exactly fit the Sin City stereotype, and even feels like an antithesis to Vegas’ bustling streets, bright lights, and flashy aesthetic. Sure, Black Hawk is home to 18 casinos and only 127 permanent residents, and gambling is certainly a way of life there - but the winding mountain roads and sheer remoteness of this former mining settlement make it worth a trip even for non-gamblers.Ĭolorado’s least populous town is certainly an anomaly.

Saying that you go to Las Vegas for the “shows” is about as credible as saying you read Playboy for the “articles.” But in Black Hawk, Colorado - the state’s very own mini Las Vegas - no one will bat an eyelash when you say you went to the casino-packed small town for the “mountain air.”

Black hawk colorado casino