Perched in an alpine meadow at an elevation of about 10,000 ft, America’s highest KOA is just 5 miles from Colorado’s most fabled gold-mining camp. More than half a billion dollars’ worth of gold was blasted and dug from the slopes of Pikes Peak. Weathered mine buildings and vast piles of rock tailings still dot the landscape. After a long slumber as a near ghost town, Cripple Creek has been transformed into a modern boomtown with casinos. Stroll the historic district and tour 2 museums. Biking, hiking and horseback trails fan out in all directions. Hike up Trachyte Knob. You’re about an hour’s drive from Colorado Springs, the entrance to Pikes Peak and the Royal Gorge. Then head back to camp and slumber under a starry sky.