Entry No. 152 — the Denver file — filed under: 1893-waterwheel
Charlie Tayler Water Wheel
“a grizzled miner who swore off bathing and kissing as his personal health regimen”
Colorado's largest wooden waterwheel — all 30 feet of it — still turns beside a cascading waterfall, built in 1893 by a grizzled miner who swore off bathing and kissing as his personal health regimen. The wheel is free, accessible year-round, and reached via a short paved path under I-70 from Harold A. Anderson Park.
The move: Park behind Idaho Springs Town Hall, walk the 750-foot paved path under the I-70 overpass to the viewing benches beside Clear Creek, watch the massive wheel churn next to Bridal Veil Falls, then stroll back into town for a meal or a beer at a local spot along Miner Street — the whole stop is free and takes about 30–45 minutes.
📍 Before you go This is a mountain day trip — Idaho Springs sits about 30 miles west of Denver up I-70 (exit 240). Don't trust your map app to the letter; aim for downtown and park in the free lot behind City Hall off Miner Street, or along Water Street, then follow the paved walkway. The route under the interstate is short, flat, and ADA-friendly, so it works in any season, though summer and early fall bring the fullest flow and easiest mountain driving; winter means icy patches and possible chain checks on I-70. There's nothing to buy here, so build the visit around lunch or a brewery crawl on historic Miner Street a block away.
- 📍 Idaho Springs
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: I-70 exit 240, Harold A. Anderson Park, Idaho Springs, CO 80452
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: historycolorado.org · Tripadvisor · hmdb.org
last checked: 2026-06-07