(Image Courtesy of Wikipedia)
If you are looking for a combination of the great outdoors and the bright lights and action of the casino, vacationing in Blackhawk Colorado may be the ideal answer. This historic mining town, about an hour’s drive from Denver, offers a choice of 17 casinos of varying size and access to some of the state’s most spectacular scenery.
The first casinos were opened in Blackhawk during the early 1990s in an effort to halt the town’s decline since its boom days as a mining town in the late 19th century. Gold was discovered in nearby Gregory Gulch, which led to thousands of prospectors arriving in the area, all bent on making their fortune. Today, the town’s casinos vary in size from those offering over 1,000 slot machines, to smaller establishments offering a less frenzied and quieter atmosphere and just 100 slots.
There is a wide choice of accommodation if you are vacationing in Blackhawk Colorado, although the town is also a popular day trip from Denver. Several of the larger casinos also offer accommodation, including the Ameristar Casino Resort Spa. Gamblers can choose from 40 table games, and 1,500 video and slot machines, as well as a choice of over 500 rooms and suites. The other three large casino hotels in town include the lady Luck casino Blackhawk, with 10 poker tables and almost 600 slot machines.
If you prefer to gamble somewhere smaller, Blackhawk has over a dozen smaller gambling venues, ranging in size from Golden Gates Casino with almost 300 slot machines, to the Bull Pen Casino, with just over 100 slots. Most of the smaller gambling establishments in town offer slots only and are somewhat unpretentious. As well as gambling, the town of Blackhawk offers a great selection of restaurants to suit any budget, and the town makes a convenient base for excursions into the Rockies.
We can highly recommend Blackhawk, one of the area’s most popular destinations, and it appeals to families, couples, those who want an outdoor adventure and those who don’t want to leave the air conditioned casino.
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