Mountains
Park County
24 Porch Notes tied to Park County — the local details that change from one part of Colorado to the next.
Home and property (1)
Water and land (2)
Water and land
Boating at Eleven Mile State Park means a boat inspection for invasive species
Eleven Mile State Park allows boating on its big reservoir, but trailered boats must pass an aquatic nuisance species inspection first.
Read note ->Water and land
Park County is headwaters country, and much of its water serves cities far away
The South Platte River takes shape in Park County's South Park basin, and large reservoirs here store water that is delivered to the Denver metro area downstream.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire (8)
Outdoors and wildfire
A lot of Park County is national forest, and the rules vary by ranger district
Much of Park County's public land falls under the Pike-San Isabel National Forest's South Park Ranger District, where camping and access rules are set locally rather than statewide.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Buffalo Peaks Wilderness, near Fairplay, is quiet meadow country with bighorn sheep
On the southwest edge of the Mosquito Range, the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness offers walkable meadow-and-forest backcountry close to Fairplay and Hartsel, with one of Colorado's largest bighorn sheep herds and strict wilderness rules.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Eleven Mile Canyon cuts through Pikes Peak granite below the dam
Below Eleven Mile Reservoir near Lake George, the South Platte carved a steep canyon through Pikes Peak granite, now a forest recreation area on an old railroad grade with a day-use fee.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Lost Creek Wilderness, near Tarryall, is granite-dome country with wilderness rules
The Lost Creek Wilderness in eastern Park County is known for rounded granite domes and arches reached from Tarryall Road, and as designated wilderness it has stricter rules than ordinary forest.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
South Park's reservoirs draw anglers, and fishing rules change by water
Park County's South Park reservoirs in the South Platte basin are a well-known fishing destination, and both the rules and access can differ from one water to the next.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
The DeCaLiBron 14ers above Alma share one trailhead at Kite Lake
Four high peaks above Alma — Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, and Bross — are reached from the Kite Lake trailhead, but the Mount Bross summit has been on private land with restricted access.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
The Dream Stream below Spinney is Gold Medal water with strict rules
The South Platte between Spinney Mountain and Eleven Mile reservoirs — the 'Dream Stream' in the Charlie Meyers State Wildlife Area — is Gold Medal, flies-and-lures, catch-and-release water with specific rules.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Windy Ridge's Wind-Sculpted Bristlecones Above Alma
On a high shoulder of Mount Bross above Alma, a Forest Service scenic area protects gnarled bristlecone pines, some over a thousand years old.
Read note ->Cars and driving (2)
Cars and driving
Getting in and out of Park County means driving mountain passes
Major routes into Park County climb over high passes like Kenosha and Hoosier, where winter weather, traction and chain laws, and temporary closures are part of normal travel.
Read note ->Cars and driving
Mosquito Pass is a seasonal 4WD road, not a year-round route to Leadville
Mosquito Pass connects Alma and Leadville over a very high, rocky road that is usually open only for a short stretch of summer and needs a high-clearance 4WD vehicle.
Read note ->Local rules (3)
Local rules
In Park County, most land is unincorporated, so the county makes many of the rules
Park County has only two incorporated towns, Fairplay and Alma, so most of the county — including well-known communities like Bailey — is unincorporated and falls under county rather than town rules.
Read note ->Local rules
Short-term rental rules in Park County depend on whether you're in the county or a town
Unincorporated Park County requires a county short-term rental license, while homes inside incorporated towns like Fairplay and Alma fall under the town's own authority instead.
Read note ->Local rules
Two school districts split Park County, so your address decides which one you're in
Park County is divided between Park County School District RE-2 around Fairplay and Platte Canyon School District RE-1 in the Bailey area, and your home's location sets which one serves it.
Read note ->History and culture (8)
History and culture
Como exists because of a narrow-gauge railroad, and its stone roundhouse still stands
Como was a junction town on the Denver, South Park and Pacific narrow-gauge railroad, and its 1880s stone roundhouse, depot, and hotel complex are listed on the National Register.
Read note ->History and culture
Every July, Fairplay races burros over a 13,000-foot pass
Fairplay's Burro Days festival each July features the World Championship Pack Burro Race, where runners and their burros climb over Mosquito Pass on a course of more than 29 miles.
Read note ->History and culture
Fairplay was born in the gold rush, and Alma grew with the mines that followed
Fairplay began as a gold-rush camp, Alma grew later as a supply and smelting town for nearby mines, and the mining era still shapes the towns, place names, and disturbed ground around South Park.
Read note ->History and culture
Guffey, the Mining Town That Elects a Cat
A former gold camp in Park County's south end keeps a famous, honorary tradition of electing animals as mayor.
Read note ->History and culture
Much of Park County sits inside the South Park National Heritage Area
Congress designated the South Park National Heritage Area to recognize and help interpret the mining, ranching, and railroad history spread across much of Park County.
Read note ->History and culture
Park County's libraries are spread across four communities, not one central building
Park County Public Libraries operate branches in Bailey, Fairplay, Guffey, and Lake George, reflecting a county that has several population centers rather than one hub.
Read note ->History and culture
Park County's seat moved twice before it settled in Fairplay
The county seat started at the Tarryall diggings, shifted to Buckskin Joe, and finally landed in Fairplay, tracing where the mining action was at each moment.
Read note ->History and culture
South Park City in Fairplay is a town rebuilt from Park County's lost mining camps
South Park City Museum at the west end of Fairplay's Front Street is an open-air museum of historic buildings moved in from the county's vanished mining camps.
Read note ->