Twinkling on a hilltop in Teller County stands a winter palace. Arches of bulbous icicles sparkling with blue and green lights greet visitors. Patrons wander on a circuitous path of snow through tunnels, into caves, and even down slides—all made of ice. Warmly-dressed employees and ambient music welcome visitors into the Ice Castles in Cripple Creek. It's closed for the season now, but it was a hopping place right up until it shut down.
“It was just absolutely wonderful,” said Donna Geary, who came from Colorado Springs with her husband on a Friday night in early February.
Utah-based Ice Castles is a national attraction with locations in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Utah, and Colorado. Two years after closing down in Dillon, Colorado, the Ice Castles moved to Cripple Creek in 2024, bringing a surge of tourism to the small mining town south of Woodland Park.
Clay Davis oversees the construction and takedown of the palace. He has seen the influx of visitors the Ice Castles created and knew the winter traffic was more than the town was prepared for or accustomed to.
“We tried to warn them last year. They didn't believe us. They were turning away people three hours before closing because the wait list was so long at some restaurants.”
Tracie Bennitt, Cripple Creek's marketing and events director, said this year, they made flyers indicating family-friendly restaurants, which she said seems to have spread out the traffic and lent itself to a more broad-based benefit.
Like many Colorado mountain towns, the area’s economy depends on visitors taking a long trip down a winding highway.
According to Bennitt, Cripple Creek’s income is mostly generated from the casinos that line Main Street and their Donkey Derby Days event in the summer.
“Winters are tough in Cripple Creek,” said Bennitt.
Historically, the long-standing and popular Ice Fest has been the town’s way of maintaining a stream of revenue throughout the winter. It expanded this year into a nine-day event, still centered around competitive ice carving.
Bennitt said she's worked hard the past few years to make the Ice Fest an event worth the travel required to attend. Now, coupled with the Ice Castles, the town welcomes more visitors from across the country.
The workers come from all over, too. For many, Cripple Creek is a seasonal stop on a circuit of temporary gigs.
“I know a lot of this crew this year is heading to Alaska to work … A few of them work down in Cañon City at a zipline down there. So just a lot of outdoor jobs,” said Davis.
But that also means employees filter in and out of the city. Most are not residents of the town of just over 1000 people. The Ice Castles rents local housing for workers to live in through the winter.
“With business being slower in the winter up here, they’re more than happy to let us have them for the winter and then get them right back when the season starts picking up here for the summertime,” Davis said.
While the waves of tourism drawn by the castles have shaken up Cripple Creek’s shoulder season, the effects have been felt throughout the region.
A mere 4.2 miles down the highway is the small town of Victor. According to City Administrator Bobby Tech, “It’s the longest 4.2 miles in the world.”
However, a large wooden troll erected just outside of town in 2023 is helping to bridge the gap. It's Rita the Rock Planter, created by recycle artist Thomas Dambo. The 20-foot troll sits on her knees, pushing a pile of rocks into a hole with hands the size of dinner tables.
She attracts people. A lot of people.
In 2024, Tech said over 60,000 people made the trek up Little Grouse Mountain to visit Rita the Rock Planter, mostly in the warmer months. But with the Ice Castles nearby, the troll still receives visitors throughout the winter.
“We came to see the Ice Castles, and Rita was a surprise,” said Kathy Beavers, who came from Longmont with her husband Morey. “This is the kind of stuff we seek out.”
With a population of less than 400, Victor has felt the impact of those new waves of tourism.
“We rely on tourism rather than locals,” said Karen Morrison.
She and her husband have sold handmade brooms on 3rd Street for 35 years. They run Victor Trading Co and Manufacturing works, a tightly packed shop filled with candles, knickknacks, and a wall displaying over one hundred brooms. The shop cat, Milo, jumps across countertops to greet customers. Morrison called the troll traffic a mixed bag.
“A lot of people come in for directions on how to find [Rita]. We get them in the door and some of them shop. Some of them just want directions and they’re out the door.”
While a trail connects the troll to town, few tourists choose to hike it. Even the mile drive from the sculpture is too far for many troll-goers.
“There’s 25,000 people that are making the trip to Rita, but not to Victor. So, we’re working really diligently to try and complete that loop on our end,” said Tech.
Morrison said bringing a consistent driver of tourism to town would turn things around for Victor, but she admits it’s a complicated undertaking.
“Well, we’ve been hoping for 35 years.”
With spring around the corner, Morrison looks forward to traffic from the Donkey Derby Days, the county rodeo, and mining district sightseers. But she still has to ride out the slow trickle of tourism between the Ice Castles’ closure and summer festivities.
She thinks Tech, who has worked for the city since September, might finally secure a year-round attraction in Victor.
“I think he’s got ideas. And he’s young and energetic, which we’re not anymore.”
For Tech, a prosperous future for Victor means collaborating with Cripple Creek to boost tourism in both towns. For the time being, most of the traffic that gambling and winter festivities generate stays in Cripple Creek.
“But I think it’s an opportunity for Victor to grow as well,” he said.
He hopes to see the town become a family-friendly alternative to Cripple Creek’s casinos, offering charming restaurants, a rich mining history, and a friendly neighborhood troll.
