Bolthole Index

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 Routt County, Colorado at 73/100.

Under 2 hours

ranked by Index score
  1. 1Larimer CountyColorado · ≈1.6h drive · ~70 mi72
  2. 2El Paso CountyColorado · ≈1.5h drive · ~67 mi66
  3. 3Arapahoe CountyColorado · 50 min drive · ~38 mi65
  4. 4Teller CountyColorado · ≈1.2h drive · ~52 mi65
  5. 5Park CountyColorado · ≈1.4h drive · ~60 mi64
  6. 6Lake CountyColorado · ≈1.8h drive · ~80 mi63
  7. 7Grand CountyColorado · ≈1.5h drive · ~67 mi61
  8. 8Boulder CountyColorado · 40 min drive · ~31 mi58
  9. 9Summit CountyColorado · ≈1.3h drive · ~56 mi57
  10. 10Gilpin CountyColorado · 35 min drive · ~27 mi57

2–4 hours

ranked by Index score
  1. 1Routt CountyColorado · ≈2.7h drive · ~120 mi73
  2. 2Albany CountyWyoming · ≈3.2h drive · ~140 mi69
  3. 3Costilla CountyColorado · ≈3.8h drive · ~169 mi69
  4. 4Fremont CountyColorado · ≈2.1h drive · ~91 mi67
  5. 5Delta CountyColorado · ≈3.6h drive · ~160 mi66
  6. 6Garfield CountyColorado · ≈3.1h drive · ~135 mi64
  7. 7Huerfano CountyColorado · ≈3.2h drive · ~141 mi63
  8. 8Custer CountyColorado · ≈2.6h drive · ~116 mi63
  9. 9Gunnison CountyColorado · ≈2.9h drive · ~127 mi61
  10. 10Eagle CountyColorado · ≈2.1h drive · ~91 mi61

4–8 hours

ranked by Index score
  1. 1Montezuma CountyColorado · ≈5.9h drive · ~258 mi73
  2. 2Crook CountyWyoming · ≈7.7h drive · ~339 mi72
  3. 3Archuleta CountyColorado · ≈4.7h drive · ~207 mi69
  4. 4Fremont CountyWyoming · ≈6.8h drive · ~300 mi69
  5. 5Pennington CountySouth Dakota · ≈7.2h drive · ~316 mi68
  6. 6Custer CountySouth Dakota · ≈6.4h drive · ~280 mi68
  7. 7Johnson CountyWyoming · ≈6.9h drive · ~305 mi66
  8. 8La Plata CountyColorado · ≈5.2h drive · ~227 mi66
  9. 9Carbon CountyUtah · ≈6.8h drive · ~298 mi66
  10. 10Duchesne CountyUtah · ≈6.6h drive · ~291 mi65

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?

Routt County, Colorado is the strongest county within about 4 hours of Denver, scoring 73/100 on the Bolthole Index (≈2.7h by road, ~120 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.