This Historic Mill Is Now A Basecamp: Hiking, Biking + More At The Mighty Argo
Colorado’s gold rush country is hitting paydirt all over again, this time for trail enthusiasts. On May 9, 2026, the Mighty Argo Cable Car opened in Idaho Springs, offering lift-accessed biking and hiking at the historic mining town’s growing Virginia Canyon Mountain Park.
The aging red mill tucked into the hills north of Idaho Springs has been a staple sight for Western Slopers driving to the Front Range since long before I-70 was built. Now, a $71 million Doppelmayr gondola rises 1,250 vertical feet from the base of the historic Argo Mill & Tunnel to Miners Point, a new mountaintop destination at 8,800 feet. The 10-minute ride lets riders and spectators take in views of the Continental Divide and Mount Blue Sky before reaching The Outpost, a food-and-beverage hub. A 300-seat amphitheater anchors the plaza with live music.
COMBA, the Colorado Mountain Bike Association, has built 15 miles of free trails so far, with a full build-out of 28 miles planned by 2027. Gary Moore, COMBA’s executive director and one of the masterminds behind the bike park, is particularly stoked about Drop Shaft, a top-to-bottom trail lined with berms and bumps that showcases the best of what trail builders can do on a particularly steep slope. He’s also proud of the manner in which the trails were built to safeguard local wildlife habitat.
“Developing the trails in a planned and deliberate way was super important to us — continuing to be able to see bighorn sheep and moose and elk and all the things we love to see when we’re out there riding,” Moore says.
The full 15 miles are open through the fall season. For those visiting during the winter seasonal closure (December 1 to April), Moore recommends using the Morning Star Trail to access five trail segments on the north side of the park that remain open while the south side is closed for bighorn sheep habitat protection.
Photos courtesy of the City of Idaho Springs
Most trails run on intermediate-to-expert terrain. But Sadie Schultz, director of business and community promotion for Idaho Springs, is emphatic about what the gondola adds, noting that hikers of all levels can access the park too. Miners Point itself is largely flat and paved.
“The gondola is completely ADA accessible,” she says. “Anyone can ride all the way up to the top.”
The result is an epic new trail system incorporating Colorado’s legacy of mining with a modern ethos of historic preservation and conservation.
“COMBA’s strength is that they build in alignment with the natural state of the mountain,” Schultz says. “They’re not trying to destroy nature. They’re trying to make low-impact trails that respect the flow of the mountain.”
Lift tickets start at $49.95 for adults. Book in advance for 15% off, and save even more with a twilight hours ticket.
Originally published in the fall 2026 issue of Spoke+Blossom.