6 Awesome Tunnels In Colorado You Need To Drive Through At Least Once

What was once a railroad tunnel is now the stuff that nightmares are made of, thanks to the legend that surrounds Gold Camp Road's third tunnel. What’s so sinister about an old road, you ask? According to legend, one of the tunnels completely collapsed while a school bus full of orphans was driving through, instantly killing the driver and children upon impact. When you visit today, keep your eyes and ears peeled, as several people traveling through the area claim to have experienced children’s screams, small and dusty handprints found on cars, and even the feeling of being pushed or scratched when no one is around.

If you thought the Hanging Lake area was spectacular before, wait until you get a load of it's nearby tunnel; a 4,000-foot-long highway tunnel that is carved into the southern wall of the dramatic Glenwood Canyon.

Originally developed in 1902 by Denver, Northwestern and Pacific industrialist David Moffat, the Moffat Tunnel was built as a means to provide Denver with a railroad connection to western Colorado via the Continental Divide. Fortunately, the historic tunnel is still open today and is now primarily used as a way for the Union Pacific Railroad to transport coal and freight.

In case you don't remember learning about this amazing structure in your middle school Colorado history class, here is a quick recap: Completed in 1979, the Eisenhower–Edwin C. Johnson Memorial Tunnel (or just Eisenhower Tunnel) tops out at an elevation of a whopping 11,158 feet and is famous for being both the highest point on the Interstate Highway System, as well as the longest mountain tunnel in the country.

Opened in 1882 and closed in 1910, the Alpine Tunnel is a narrow gauge railroad tunnel for an old Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad route. Though the tunnel was the first of its kind to be constructed through the Continental Divide, it experienced a short life span because of minor damage in the interior. (Even though the tunnel is closed, visitors can still walk relatively close to both of Alpine's openings.)