Denver Mountain Parks History -- Genesee Park

The Scenic Circles

Wildcat Point on the Lariat Trail
from a 1916 brochure cover

Trip Log for the Main Circle Drive

Beginning in about 1916, the City & County of Denver began promoting its new mountain roads and parks with booklets distributed by the Tourist Bureau. Loaded with images of magnificent scenery designed to entice visitors, the booklets emphasized the pleasure and safety of touring in your own personal automobile. This log will take you around the route, as it existed in 1916. Your mileage will vary, but you're sure to find many of these landmarks. We've inserted headings for the major sections of the route; all other text below is original.

Go to Tour Booklet Pages | Tour Information and Fares |

"THE LOG"

Denver to Golden. Lookout Mountain, Bergen Park, Evergreen, Bear Creek Cañon. Morrison, via North Golden Road. Distance, not including side trip to Genesee Mountain and Colorow Point, 63 miles.

[DENVER TO GOLDEN]

0.0-Leaving State Capitol.
   Pioneer Monument.
   Civic Center.
   Carnegie Library and
   Mint, one block west.
   North on Broadway.
      passing
   Denver Motor Club.

0.4-Cross Welton and down
      19th St.
   East Denver High
     School on right.

0.5-New Post office on left.

0.6 Turn right on Champa St.

0.7-Turn left on 20th St.
City Bath House on right.

1.0-20th St. Viaduct.
New Union Depot on left.

1.9-Turn left West 33rd Ave.

2.8-Oakes Home on left.

3.0-North on Federal Blvd.
Woodbury Library on
left.

3.6-Colombian School on right.
McDonough Park on left.

3.9-Turn left West 44th Ave.

5.4-City Limits.
White City on right.
Inspiration Point right.

10.2-North Table Mountain
      on right.
   South Table Mountain
      on left.

12.1 Stanley Reservoir.

12.6-Clear Creek Cañon.

13.9-Independent Smelter.

14.3-City Limits of Golden.
Coor's Brewery on left.

[GOLDEN TO LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN]

15.0-Golden. 5,673 feet.
   Castle Rock and Indian
      Camp on left.
   Scenic Incline.

15.1-State Armory on right.
   First Court House in
      the State on left.
   School of Mines on
      right.

16.6-Industrial School on
      left.
   Golden Reservoir.
   Water Tank.
   Foot of Lookout Mountain
      and beginning of drive.
    On left Funicular
      Incline to summit
      of Lookout Mountain.

17.4-View of Golden.
Clear Creek Canon.

17.6-Sensation Point.

18.7 Large "M" 100 by 80 feet.

18.8 First View of Denver.

19.4-Double Hairpin Curve.

19.6-Windy Saddle.
View of snow-capped
peaks.

20.0-Engineer's Lariat.
Spring House. 7,045 ft.
Comfort Station.

20.2-Windy Point.

20.9-Wildcat Point.
   Summit of Lookout
      Mountain.
    Altitude 7,300 feet.

[LOOKOUT MTN TO EVERGREEN]
21.0-Reservoir on left.

21.3-Shelter House.

21.5-Road to Colorow Point
on right.

24.2-Mount Vernon Cañon
on left.

24.6-Water Tank.

24.7-School on right.

25.0-Road to Genesee Peak
and Park, 8,270 feet.

25.1-Left, Herd of Elk.

26.5-Left, Road out of
Genesee Park from
Genesee Mountain.

26.7-Shelter House.
Mountain fire place.
Comfort Station.

28.4-View of Squaw
      Mountain.
   Grays Peak.
   Torrey's Peak and
      Snowy Range.

30.5-Comfort Station.
   Bergen Park.
   Road branches to
      Idaho Springs.

30.6-Swings.
   Settees.
   Fire place.
   Shelter house.
   View of Bergen Peak.

33.4-View of Bear Mountain.

35.0-Hairpin Curve.

33.4-Bear Creek Cañon.
   Troutdale one mile west.
   Meadowbrook Ranch,
      1½ miles west.

35.7-Dam site, and proposed
lake.

[EVERGREEN TO MORRISON]

35.9-Evergreen.

36.4-Church.

37.9-Horseshoe Curve.

38.0-Dad's Grocery.

38.7-Turkey Cañon on right.
Meyer's Gulch.

40.0-Serpentine Trail.

43.6-High water mark
during flood.

47.0-Left. Park of the
Red Rocks.

47.3-On right. Hotel Morrison.

[MORRISON TO DENVER]

47.4-Morrison.
Altitude 5,659 feet.

50.4-Right, Fort Logan.
Left, Loretto Heights.

54.5-Midway.

59.8-Old Hanging Tree.

60.4-Alameda Subway.

60.9 Turn left on Broadway

61.8-Left, Baseball Park.
County Hospital.

61.9-Cherry Creek.
Speer Boulevard.

63.0-State Capitol.

The Scenic Circles

Trip Log for the Main Circle Drive

"THE LOG"

Sponsored by the Denver Mountain Parks Foundation and the City & County of Denver