Pam North, Nederland.     Residents living in the Nederland area and mid-to-north Gilpin County usually are frequent travelers to Boulder, and many take the canyon highway route down from Nederland. The less than half-hour ride is pretty much taken for granted these days; it's a quick, usually uneventful (barring icy conditions or an errant bike rider) trip down a smooth ribbon of asphalt, a far cry from its predecessor in earlier times.

Boulder Canyon was a formidable undertaking back then; even walking it was arduous. Steep, vertical canyon walls, rising high above a rushing, rock-filled creek, narrowed to almost impassable just above Boulder Falls. A road to the bustling mountain mines had become a necessity, one which Boulderites were determined to build, and build it they did, despite the natural obstacles that stood in their path.

The first few miles of it were completed in 1865, as part of a wagon road to Central City, by a pair of Boulder financiers, James Maxwell and Clinton Tyler, who organized the Boulder Valley and Central City Wagon Road Company. The route was built in three months to where the lower part of Magnolia Hill enters Boulder Canyon from the south (about two miles up from the Four Mile Canyon intersection); there the route departed from the canyon and headed up and over Magnolia Hill to South Boulder Creek, joining with the Enterprise Road into Black Hawk. 
    Six years later, the success of the Caribou silver mine beckoned the extension of the lower Boulder Canyon road from Magnolia Hill to Nederland. A second wagon road company was formed by four Boulder men: John F. Buttles, Amos Widner, Anthony Arnett, and William Pound. The Boulder Canyon Wagon Road was opened on May 20, 1871.

The completion of the one-way dusty thoroughfare was a major accomplishment, but it still was a steep, narrow, and hazardous road, crossing from one side of the canyon to the other over thirty-three bridges (today it's barely noticeable that the road crosses the stream). The road was operated on a toll basis, but the revenue generated was barely enough to cover the constant maintenance required, so no profit ever was derived from the venture. It still was viewed as a success, however, as it brought Boulder a portion of the trade that had previously gone down Clear Creek to Denver. 
    The scenic beauty of the canyon soon made it a tourist attraction as well. An open, horse-drawn 10-to-12 passenger vehicle known as a Tally Ho was the popular mode of transport by which sightseers could leisurely traverse Boulder Canyon. Many scenic points along the route became favorites; some of these still exist, and others have disappeared or are now hidden from view with the later highway improvements that have been made.

The tumbling 35-foot Boulder Falls, the approximate halfway point of the canyon, still attracts passers-by.  The 75-year-old Public Service plant, its CCPCo letters (Central Colorado Power Company) visible, is still in existence at the lower part of the creek just east of the tunnel; it is a major part of the Boulder hydroelectric system. Castle Rock, a 300-foot rise of rough dark rock, lures rock-climbers as a major challenge. Both Castle Rock and the power plant are locations where the old convict-built road is still visible.

Perfect Tree, an ancient tree towering 83 feet in height, and estimated to be between 300 and 400 years old, is a once-majestic, dense and perfectly symmetrical blue spruce standing on the stream bank about a mile below Castle Rock. Its former beauty and reputation was lost in more recent years due to age and budworm infestation, but it was once a famous canyon highlight. 
    Rebuilding of the road began in 1941, and over ten years and the Second World War passed before it was finished, opening to travelers on January 8, 1953, and then extending to the Boulder city limits by 1955. The project, built by the State Bureau of Public Roads, cost $2.38 million, and incorporated a tunnel which cut through solid rock and eliminated a hazardous curve. 
    Next time you head down Boulder Canyon, take some time to appreciate the effort, time and vision it took to make this road a reality, and your shopping trip or work commute an easy drive.

Resource:  Nederland – A Trip to Cloudland, by Isabel M. Becker