Clear Creek is one of the most popular and historic waterways of the Front Range. Its watershed covers approximately 1550 square kilometers, or 600 square miles, includes five counties, and more than thirteen communities. From its headwaters on the Continental Divide to the plains near Denver, it connects small mountain communities with Colorado’s largest metropolitan area. It begins at Loveland Pass and drains into the South Platte River near Commerce City. Its most scenic stretch is Clear Creek Canyon, where Highway 6 winds through a steep valley from Idaho Springs to Golden.