Wagon Wheel Gap Railroad Station - Creede, CO - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Activity at the little depot reached its peak during the early years when, as the terminal of the railroad, passengers debarked the train for their stay in the area or for further travel by stage coach while freight was transferred to wagons for its trip to the mountain settlements beyond.

The railroad continued to carry passengers and freight in and out of the mountains along the picturesque Rio Grande from its terminous at the Gap until it began to groan under the weight of rich silver ore being shipped from Creede just up the way following the strike of 1891. Shortly after, rails were extended past Wagon Wheel Gap to Creede.

For a while, business along the railroad rose to lusty new heights, but most of it went right on by the Gap station on its way to the boom town above. Even this was short lived, however, for the Silver Panic of 1893 crushed silver values and with it the booming economy of Colorado's southwest. The exuberance gone, the railroad and the Wagon Wheel Gap station continued to bring visitors and vacationers to its nearby natural hot springs, and surrounding hunting and fishing spots.

Excerpts from the NRHP Nomination Form [visit link]

Although the station is now privately owned and can only be viewed from the highway, you can still ride the historic Denver & Rio Grande Railroad from South Fork to Wagon Wheel Gap [visit link]. The depot sits as a little reminder of the golden age of rail travel that served the booming mining towns. One can only imagine what it was like to travel through the valley during its heyday.

County / Borough / Parish: Mineral County Year listed: 1976 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person Periods of significance: 1875-1899 Historic function: Transportation Current function: Recreation and Culture Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Street address: Not listed Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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