Wanting to make a mountain adventure, but don’t want to drive all day in order to do so? Here is your perfect guide.
Rafting on Clear Creek
AVA’s Idaho Springs outpost is located about 40 minutes outside of Denver and we offer a handful of exciting mountain activities. Start of your adventure with one of our many rafting trips on the Clear Creek. Whether it is your first time or you are a self proclaimed water rat, we offer trips that are just right for your ability level.
Ziplining through the Cliffside
After your rafting trip, grab a quick lunch in Idaho Springs at a great place like Tommy Knockers and return back to our outpost for ziplining. Unlike most zipline courses in Colorado, we built our lines into natural features. Rather than climbing up an ugly wooden tower to zipline, with AVA you will be ziplining off of cliffsides and into beautiful dense forests. The next two to three hours of your day will be spent ziplining off of our six zips and the trip finalizes with a zip that crosses the Chicago Creek for an exhilarating finish.
Take the “Iron Way” with a Via Ferrata Adventure
If you are looking for something a little different then ziplining, go on a via ferrata with us. Via ferratas are trips that allow you to traverse cliffsides without needing rock climbing experience. Traverse your way along rungs, rails, cables, bridges, and ladders with one of our many experienced guides on our Mount Evans via ferrata tour. To meet your craving for adrenaline, the trip ends with your choice of going on a fifty foot freefall!
Drive the Highest Paved Road in North America
To continue your exciting day, you should drive to the top of the 14,130 foot peak, Mount Evans. The Mount Evans Byway is located on the same exit as our Idaho Springs location and takes about a one hour drive from our outpost to reach the top. There is a fifteen dollar fee per vehicle to enter the scenic byway, but the spectacular views you will get at the top will be worth it.
On the way to the top of the peak, you will drive by several photo worthy alpine lakes, and will likely see a herd or two of mountain goats and bighorn sheep as well. For those who are thrill seekers, bring a swimsuit and make a polar plunge into Summit Lake. With snow melting directly into the lake, this should be some of the coldest water you have ever been in! After the breathtaking plunge, continue driving up the windy and narrow road until you reach the summit parking lot. You are now only about a ten minute hike away from reaching the official top of the fourteen thousand foot mountain. At the top, test your fear of heights by sitting on a cliff ledge that lies above a four hundred foot drop!
From the top of Mount Evans, it is unfortunately time to wrap up your fantastic day in the Colorado mountains and return to the Front Range. Don’t be too disheartened though as you only had to drive forty minutes to reach our Idaho Springs location and we at AVA would be happy to see you again!
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