Reachable backup land

Best boltholes near Denver

A bolthole only works if you can get to it. The classic brief — "a farm or a ranch somewhere far off the beaten track but which you can get to reasonably quickly and easily" (Barton Biggs, Wealth, War & Wisdom) — assumes you drive there in a day, not fly. Below: every county within roughly eight hours of Denver, ranked by the Bolthole Index, in three drive bands. The strongest pick within four hours is Kit Carson County, Colorado at 69/100.

Under 2 hours

ranked by Index score
  1. 1Lake CountyColorado · ≈1.8h drive · ~80 mi58
  2. 2Park CountyColorado · ≈1.4h drive · ~60 mi54
  3. 3Elbert CountyColorado · ≈1.1h drive · ~51 mi53
  4. 4Grand CountyColorado · ≈1.5h drive · ~67 mi52
  5. 5Gilpin CountyColorado · 35 min drive · ~27 mi50
  6. 6Morgan CountyColorado · ≈1.6h drive · ~69 mi49
  7. 7Teller CountyColorado · ≈1.2h drive · ~52 mi48
  8. 8Clear Creek CountyColorado · 50 min drive · ~35 mi47
  9. 9Summit CountyColorado · ≈1.3h drive · ~56 mi47
  10. 10Weld CountyColorado · ≈1.2h drive · ~54 mi44

2–4 hours

ranked by Index score
  1. 1Kit Carson CountyColorado · ≈3.0h drive · ~132 mi69
  2. 2Goshen CountyWyoming · ≈3.8h drive · ~169 mi67
  3. 3Albany CountyWyoming · ≈3.2h drive · ~140 mi63
  4. 4Cheyenne CountyKansas · ≈3.9h drive · ~173 mi63
  5. 5Delta CountyColorado · ≈3.6h drive · ~160 mi63
  6. 6Routt CountyColorado · ≈2.7h drive · ~120 mi62
  7. 7Cheyenne CountyNebraska · ≈3.2h drive · ~143 mi61
  8. 8Banner CountyNebraska · ≈3.2h drive · ~139 mi61
  9. 9Phillips CountyColorado · ≈3.4h drive · ~150 mi61
  10. 10Sedgwick CountyColorado · ≈3.6h drive · ~160 mi61

4–8 hours

ranked by Index score
  1. 1Oglala Lakota CountySouth Dakota · ≈6.2h drive · ~274 mi75
  2. 2Crook CountyWyoming · ≈7.7h drive · ~339 mi72
  3. 3Gove CountyKansas · ≈5.6h drive · ~247 mi72
  4. 4Todd CountySouth Dakota · ≈7.5h drive · ~328 mi71
  5. 5Wallace CountyKansas · ≈4.1h drive · ~183 mi71
  6. 6Thomas CountyKansas · ≈4.8h drive · ~211 mi71
  7. 7Fremont CountyWyoming · ≈6.8h drive · ~300 mi71
  8. 8Lipscomb CountyTexas · ≈8.0h drive · ~351 mi70
  9. 9Sheridan CountyKansas · ≈5.5h drive · ~244 mi70
  10. 10Hodgeman CountyKansas · ≈6.7h drive · ~295 mi70

How to read this

Drive times are estimates (straight-line distance +25% at a 55 mph average) to the county center — terrain and traffic will move them. Scores are the national Bolthole Index (see the methodology): a county that tops this list can still rank mid-pack nationally, because proximity to Denver is a constraint, not a bonus. The under-2-hour band trades seclusion for reachability; most serious setups land in the 2–4 hour band.

FAQ

What is the best bolthole near Denver?

Kit Carson County, Colorado is the strongest county within about 4 hours of Denver, scoring 69/100 on the Bolthole Index (≈3.0h by road, ~132 miles).

How far should a bolthole be from Denver?

Far enough to be off the beaten track, close enough to reach without flying — most readers target the 2–4 hour band. Under 2 hours trades seclusion for accessibility; past 8 hours you're relying on infrastructure you can't count on.

How are these counties ranked?

Every county within 8 estimated driving hours of Denver is ranked by its Bolthole Index score — six factors covering seclusion, self-sufficiency, administrative boringness, durability, property autonomy, and carry cost. Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance.