CLEAR CREEK COUNTY - Clear Creek County continues to redefine itself from an old mining community to a new recreational hub close to Denver.

Idaho Springs set the gondola towers on July 10, 2025, for the Mighty ARGO Cable Car. It is scheduled to open in early 2026.

Helicopters were used to transport the tower sections to the foundation pads so the pieces could be connected to build the towers. The operation took all day, with the helicopters grounded for a time in the afternoon because of a weather hold.

The gondola was manufactured by an Austrian company called Doppelmayr Cable Car. The total cost to build out the facility is projected to be around $71 million.

The Mighty ARGO Cable Car will provide lift access to the top of Idaho Spring’s Virginia Canyon Mountain Park (VCMP), which will offer spectacular views of Mount Blue Sky and the surrounding Front Range mountains.

Amenities and events will be offered at the upper terminal. The upper terminal is situated at a location called Miner’s Point, which is just east of Virginia Canyon Road.

VCMP is on 400 acres of land that was annexed by the town of Idaho Springs to be a town park—like Hidden Treasure on Maryland Mountain is a town park owned by Black Hawk. VCMP is currently open to the public.

In collaboration with key partners like the Mighty ARGO Cable Car Company, Colorado Mountain Bike Association (COMBA), and other sponsors, VCMP has completed over 12 miles of trails that include separate trails for hiking and downhill mountain biking. Some are designated as mixed use.

COMBA has been involved in the design of the trails, and has rated the downhill trails as blues and blacks with some advanced obstacles for tricks. The goal is to develop over 28 miles of trails in VCMP and have connecting intersections with the Clear Creek Greenway Trail and the Peaks to Plains Trail.

The Argo Mill will continue to offer historical recreation opportunities with tours of the mill and tunnel. A recreation and retail complex will be part of the lower terminal and Argo Mill.

Like the white-water rafting outfits, the zip lines, the new shooting range, and Loveland ski area, the Mighty ARGO Cable Car project will continue the trend of building recreation infrastructure in Clear Creek County to attract serious outdoor athletes and visitors to the area.

The transformation from miners’ boots to Lycra continues.

For more information on the Mighty Argo Cable Car company visit visitclearcreek.com/activities/scenic-gondola or argomilltour.com. Information on Virginia Canyon Mountain Park is at idahospringsco.com/parks/page/virginia-canyon-mountain-park or comba.org/virginiacanyonmountainpark.

The Idaho Springs parks page has directions as to where the public parking lots are located.