Gold Belt Tour
Phantom Canyon Road Part 2

On this page I am continuing my journey up Phantom Canyon Road, from the first big bridge up the hill to the gold camp at Victor.

Just around the corner from that first big bridge, a large, rock-filled canyon opens out below and the road creeps along the wall for quite a distance. That canyon goes on for miles but after the first mile or so, the cliff below abates a bit and the white knuckles ease off some. Then you find yourself back in the bottom of the canyon as it slowly but steadily rises up and you begin to see meadows around. There's still some good water flow through here because the cottonwoods are still appearing.

Then the canyon walls close in for a bit with gendarmes, pinnacles and spires of rock rising above. Then you come over a rise and the countryside opens out a bit. A bit further and you start seeing cow pasture, then an old barn, then some large stands of aspens. Finally, you turn a slow curve and Victor appears, although it's still off in the distance. But from here it's just a short drive into town and you can check out what remains of one of the wildest gold camps in the West.