Located in Black Hawk, this lodge is in a rural area and in the mountains. Carousel of Happiness and Teller House are local landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Golden Gate Canyon State Park and Eldorado Canyon State Park. Take in the nearby slopes with cross-country skiing and snowboarding, or try out other outdoor activities such as sledging and snowmobiling.
Howlin Wind Brewing & Blending - 4 min drive - 3.6 km
Manchester Lake - 5 min drive - 4.7 km
Thorn Lake - 8 min drive - 7.7 km
Gilpin County Library - 9 min drive - 8.4 km
Golden Gate Canyon State Park - 10 min drive - 8.4 km
Getting around
Winter Park Ski Resort Amtrak Station - 81 min drive
Broomfield, CO (BJC-Rocky Mountain Metropolitan) - 55 min drive
Restaurants
Wondervu Cafe - 21 min drive
Howlin Wind Brewing & Blending - 5 min drive
Toss Wood Fired Eatery - 5 min drive
Last Shot - 6 min drive
Gold Dirt Distillery - 6 min drive
About this property
Mountain retreat w/creekside sauna and fire pit patio - Casinos nearby!
Nestled off the beaten path between Black Hawk and Nederland, Ellsworth Creek Retreat is your basecamp for miles of Jeep/ATV trails, hiking, biking, and skiing... or just relaxing in the cabin sauna or around the creekside fire pit patio.
We are also just 15 minutes from over 25 casinos in the historic towns of Black Hawk and Central City!
No matter your reason for visiting, this rustically modern log home will provide the perfect ambiance for your Rocky Mountain getaway!
Ellsworth Creek Retreat includes BOTH the 3-bedroom Lodge AND the lower level 1-bedroom Guest Suite. You will not be sharing any part of the property with other guests.
****The Space**** Ellsworth Creek Retreat is a modernized log home that retained its Rocky Mountain character and charm through its stone and wood finishes, historic mountain decor, and vintage wood stove. It's huge main level windows bring the mountain's natural beauty indoors, though enjoying that beauty from the wrap-around covered deck is even better.
Both living rooms and both master bedrooms are equipped with 50-inch TVs with DVD/Blueray players and have access to Netflix, Youtube, and Vudu.
Dining seating for up to 10 at the dining table and kitchen counter in the main lodge. The guest suite has dining seating for an additional six guests.
The house naturally stays cool (65 to 75 degrees) even on the hottest summer days. You will not miss air conditioning.
No need to mess with keys as you will have your own access code for the front doors.
****Two Units in One Listing and For One Price**** This listing includes a separate lower level Guest Suite in addition to the main lodge.
The Guest Suite has it's own kitchen, bath, living area, dining area, laundry, patio, BBQ, and entrance.
There is no interior access between the two units.
****Neighborhood**** Forest and mountain-side views are all around the property. The adjacent neighbor's property includes a scenic pond that feeds Ellsworth Creek.
Ellsworth Creek runs through the back yard of the property. Typical of mountain streams, water flow can be low in late summer and fall.
Two neighboring homes are visible from this property. Peak to Peak Highway 119 is also visible from the back yard half way up the mountain side.
Conveniently located close, but not too close, to everything the mountains have to offer:
1.0 miles - Ellsworth Gulch Road Trailhead - jeep, hiking, and biking trails 2.1 miles - Town of Rollinsville 2.2 miles - Last Shot Restaurant 2.3 miles - Mid County Liquor Store 4.8 miles - Golden Gate Canyon State Park 6 miles - Town of Nederland (groceries, food, brew pubs, shopping) 7 miles - Eldora Ski Resort 12 miles - Black Hawk and Central City (over 25 casinos, restaurants, historic scenery) 23 miles - Boulder 25 miles - Idaho Springs (rafting, zip lining, hot springs) 26 miles -Golden 33 miles - Red Rocks Amphitheatre 35 miles - Rocky Mountain National Park 45 miles - Denver (Denver Int'l Airport - 61 miles) 49 miles - Loveland Ski Resort 52 miles - Estes park 56 miles - Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort 58 miles - Winter Park Ski Resort 59 miles - Silverthorne (factory outlet stores) 69 miles - Keystone Ski Resort 73 miles - Breckenridge Ski Resort 742 miles - Las Vegas (I'd just go to Black Hawk)
***Phone and Internet*** Not many cell services work in Gilpin County except AT&T. However, onsite WiFi allows for WiFi calling from most phones.
The home's WiFi internet is a 37 Mbps DSL land-line service through Century Link. Service interruptions are very rare as there are no dishes, satellites, cell towers, or portable WiFi devices to worry about. The router is on a battery backup so you should have internet service even in the event of a power outage, which is also very rare.
The property does not have land-line phone service.
***Winter Access*** Gilpin County road maintenance is very good after snow storms. Better than Denver Metro most days. However, winter mountain weather can make roadways challenging at times. The driveway is short but is up hill to get out. Even when roads and the driveway are plowed, snow often compacts creating icy surfaces. Two-wheel drive vehicles may experience difficulty during winter months.
Four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicles are typically not necessary but are recommended between November and April due to unpredictable weather and road conditions.
***Occupancy*** Per our short term rental permit with Gilpin County, the maximum number of adult guests is limited to six. Additional guests under the age of 18 are welcome, up to a maximum of 10 total guests.
House Rules
Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 23
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children
Children allowed: ages 0–17
Unit has stairs and wood stove baby gate available
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Events
No events allowed
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Pets
Pets allowed: dogs (limit 2 total)
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Smoking
Smoking allowed: in designated areas
Confirming a reservation for this listing constitutes receipt, understanding, and acceptance of the Policies and Rules emailed upon reservation.
Please refer to the Policies and Rules document that is specific to occupancy, pets, smoking, fire restrictions, and the septic system.
Pets are allowed for a $100 pet fee. Selecting "pets" in your guest count will automatically add the pet fee to your booking.
Important information
You need to know
Property # 2568834vb
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a first aid kit and a deadbolt lock
Frequently asked questions
Is Mountain retreat w/creekside sauna and fire pit patio - Casinos nearby! pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total).
How much does it cost to stay at Mountain retreat w/creekside sauna and fire pit patio - Casinos nearby!?
As of 16 May 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Mountain retreat w/creekside sauna and fire pit patio - Casinos nearby! on 30 August 2026 start from NZ$626, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at Mountain retreat w/creekside sauna and fire pit patio - Casinos nearby!?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Mountain retreat w/creekside sauna and fire pit patio - Casinos nearby!?
Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Mountain retreat w/creekside sauna and fire pit patio - Casinos nearby!?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is Mountain retreat w/creekside sauna and fire pit patio - Casinos nearby! located?
Situated in the mountains, this lodge is 2.1 mi (3.3 km) from Howlin Wind Brewing & Blending and 2.6 mi (4.3 km) from Manchester Lake. Thorn Lake and Gilpin County Library are also within 6 miles (10 km).
Mountain retreat w/creekside sauna and fire pit patio - Casinos nearby! Reviews
Reviews
9.8
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
The property is amazing, the location is ideal, and the house itself was just so great! We really enjoyed the wood stove and fire pit outside. I would definitely stay here again!
We loved staying here for our large family gathering. The location was very private and we loved exploring the property. All of the provided amenities were fantastic. Lane and Maren were very easy to communicate with and very accommodating. We would definitely stay here again.
It was extremely clean and cozy! Everything was perfect, just wish the neighbors weren’t completely in view of the back yard. We still had tons of privacy however and we all loved it!
As a first time Vrbo guest I was very impressed. The owners were very responsive and the extras they provided were very much appreciated. My grandkids were delighted with the snow toys that were provided and our visit culminated with an up close visit by a beautiful buck! I would definitely recommend this property!
Three couples running away from the hussle and bussel of Fort Collins. Super easy trip down 119 to the property, main activity was a hike through Golden Gate State Park which was about 25 minutes away.
Place was newly renovated and immaculately decorated with the guest book going back to July 2022. Communication with the host was easy and they were right that all you really need to bring is a toothbrush.
This property was beautiful. It was clean and well decorated. We really enjoyed this home. My husband is very tall so we would have preferred a king bed in the suite downstairs.
Also if we were to come with other adult couples in the future it would be nice to have queen beds in the rooms that have doubles. With that said, it would not prevent us from coming again in the future. We absolutely loved the property and home.
Our party included three generations; the youngest member being 9 years old. We had plenty of room, the kitchen was large and fully stocked with appliances, and the beds were warm and comfy. We all appreciated the Christmas tree and decorations. It made our holiday much more festive. But the best part, by far, was the sleds. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve sledding party! My nephew, the 9 year old, sledded everyday and says this was the best Christmas!
Everything was as advertised except the upstairs stove. It would ascend to the set temperature and then turn off but the readouts gave no indication it had quit working. Thank goodness for the grill outside.
First night turned on top and bottom ovens. Top oven burnt a Papa Murphy’s pizza black in 10 minutes. After 20 minutes in bottom oven crust was still raw on pizza #2.
The grill saved a
Prime rib dinner on night 2 saved by grill although we ate 90 minutes late.