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 69/100.

Under 2 hours

ranked by Index score
  1. 1Lake CountyColorado · ≈1.8h drive · ~80 mi63
  2. 2Teller CountyColorado · ≈1.2h drive · ~52 mi63
  3. 3El Paso CountyColorado · ≈1.5h drive · ~67 mi60
  4. 4Summit CountyColorado · ≈1.3h drive · ~56 mi59
  5. 5Park CountyColorado · ≈1.4h drive · ~60 mi58
  6. 6Grand CountyColorado · ≈1.5h drive · ~67 mi57
  7. 7Larimer CountyColorado · ≈1.6h drive · ~70 mi55
  8. 8Arapahoe CountyColorado · 50 min drive · ~38 mi55
  9. 9Gilpin CountyColorado · 35 min drive · ~27 mi49
  10. 10Elbert CountyColorado · ≈1.1h drive · ~51 mi48

2–4 hours

ranked by Index score
  1. 1Routt CountyColorado · ≈2.7h drive · ~120 mi69
  2. 2Costilla CountyColorado · ≈3.8h drive · ~169 mi69
  3. 3Delta CountyColorado · ≈3.6h drive · ~160 mi68
  4. 4Albany CountyWyoming · ≈3.2h drive · ~140 mi67
  5. 5Fremont CountyColorado · ≈2.1h drive · ~91 mi64
  6. 6Huerfano CountyColorado · ≈3.2h drive · ~141 mi64
  7. 7Custer CountyColorado · ≈2.6h drive · ~116 mi63
  8. 8Gunnison CountyColorado · ≈2.9h drive · ~127 mi63
  9. 9Eagle CountyColorado · ≈2.1h drive · ~91 mi63
  10. 10Garfield CountyColorado · ≈3.1h drive · ~135 mi62

4–8 hours

ranked by Index score
  1. 1Crook CountyWyoming · ≈7.7h drive · ~339 mi72
  2. 2Custer CountySouth Dakota · ≈6.4h drive · ~280 mi70
  3. 3Fremont CountyWyoming · ≈6.8h drive · ~300 mi68
  4. 4Archuleta CountyColorado · ≈4.7h drive · ~207 mi68
  5. 5Pennington CountySouth Dakota · ≈7.2h drive · ~316 mi67
  6. 6Johnson CountyWyoming · ≈6.9h drive · ~305 mi66
  7. 7Montezuma CountyColorado · ≈5.9h drive · ~258 mi65
  8. 8La Plata CountyColorado · ≈5.2h drive · ~227 mi64
  9. 9Mesa CountyColorado · ≈4.5h drive · ~200 mi63
  10. 10Ouray CountyColorado · ≈4.2h drive · ~185 mi63

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 69/100 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.