South Park National Heritage Area

06/10/2026

🌄 The Wilkerson Pass Visitor Center is officially open for the season!

Whether you're heading to South Park for a weekend adventure, exploring Park County's rich history, or simply taking in the incredible mountain views, Wilkerson Pass remains one of Colorado's most iconic roadside stops.

From wildlife displays and local history exhibits to panoramic views of the Mosquito Range and surrounding peaks, it's a place that helps connect visitors to the stories and landscapes that make this region so special.

Have you stopped at the Wilkerson Pass Visitor Center before? What’s your favorite thing about visiting? Share your memories, photos, or travel tips in the comments below! 👇

📍 26696 US-24, Lake George, CO 80827

06/10/2026

🕵️‍♀️ Calling all young adventurers!

MRHI's Wild Week: Spy Games is back June 22–25, giving kids ages 6–12 the chance to explore nature, solve puzzles, uncover clues, and put their detective skills to the test at Sacramento Creek Ranch. 🌲🔍

Check out the original post for registration details and learn more about this unique outdoor learning experience from the Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative.

WELCOME SUMMER!!!
Link: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/PMdcBLlDgHfx34qAb8dO1w

06/05/2026

🏔️ There’s something special about coming home to Colorado.

We absolutely love this stunning South Park scene captured by Sheila Fuller. The colors, the light, and the sense of peace in this image perfectly reflect what makes this landscape so memorable. 📸

Thank you, Sheila, for tagging us and for sharing your incredible photography with our community. We’re grateful for the many beautiful images you’ve contributed over the years that help showcase the South Park National Heritage Area.
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Be sure to follow to see more of her work and Colorado-inspired photography. 🌄

📸 Photo by:

06/04/2026

❖A Timeline of Park County, Colorado History❖
• 1980, Lost Creek Wilderness Created •
The Lost Creek Scenic Area is a 16,798-acre site in the Lost Creek Wilderness created in 1963, under the 1939 "U-Regulations", which was the precursor of the Wilderness Act. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1966. Located in the Pike National Forest in both Park and Jefferson counties, rock formations with pinnacles and spires are located in narrow gorges and on ridges. An underground stream "disappears and reappears" nine times or more at the site.
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"Weekend hiking views. The opening and closing act."

06/01/2026

🤔 Can you help us identify this piece of equipment at the historic Paris Mill?

While exploring the grounds around the mill, we came across this fascinating artifact. We have a few theories, but we'd love to hear from the experts, history buffs, miners, engineers, and anyone familiar with historic milling operations.

What do you think this was used for? A boiler? Part of the mill's power system? Something else entirely?

Share your best guess in the comments! 👇

If we can identify it, we'll dig deeper into its history and feature it in an upcoming blog post.

📍 Paris Mill, South Park National Heritage Area

05/29/2026

🐦 Just around the corner at Wilkerson Pass Visitor Center

Bird Walks with wildlife biologist Joe LaFleur of Better Birdwatching are almost here, and this is one of the first events of the season at the Wilkerson Pass Visitor Center.

Join them this Saturday, May 30 for a FREE guided bird walk along the Puma Point Trail and learn to identify local birds by sight and sound in one of South Park’s most scenic spots.

🗓 Saturday, May 30
🕣 8:30–9:30 AM & 9:30–10:30 AM
📍 Wilkerson Pass Visitor Center
🎟 Free event

It’s a great way to get outside, enjoy the landscape, and welcome the season.

Who’s planning to go 👇

05/25/2026

🚂 A look back at historic Como, Colorado.

This photograph from the Park County Local History Digital Archive features the original Como Hotel, once a major gathering place for railroad workers, travelers, and the growing mountain community during South Park’s railroad era.

Originally opened in 1880, the hotel served passengers and railroad crews traveling through Como and became closely tied to the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad. Today, the spirit of that railroad history continues thanks to the preservation efforts of the South Park Rail Society, whose work has helped keep Como’s historic railroad legacy alive for visitors exploring the area today.

Explore the full history and archival collection here:
https://pclha.cvlcollections.org/exhibits/show/railroad/the-hotel

05/22/2026

🌼 Discover the beauty of South Park’s alpine landscape in the latest issue of South Park Heritage Magazine.

This season’s magazine features Rare and Resilient Plants of South Park, a stunning photo feature highlighting native plants that thrive in the region’s rugged high-country environment. From delicate wildflowers to hardy alpine species, the story offers a closer look at the fragile beauty rooted throughout South Park’s landscape.

Featuring photography by Carrie Edwards 📸

📖 Read the Fall/Winter 2025 issue:
southparkheritage.org/fall-winter-2025-spnha-magazine

05/22/2026

One of the most fascinating things about visiting Paris Mill is discovering the massive pieces of historic mining equipment still scattered throughout the property.

After sharing photos of this rusted Fraser & Chalmers artifact, local mining historians and community members helped identify it as what is likely a stamp mill mortar box once used in ore crushing operations during Colorado’s mining era.

We put together a new blog exploring what this piece may have been used for, how stamp mills worked, and the role equipment like this played in the history of Paris Mill near Alma, Colorado.

🔗 Read the full story here: southparkheritage.org/paris-mill-stamp-mill-mortar-box/

Learn about the historic Fraser & Chalmers stamp mill mortar box at Paris Mill near Alma, Colorado and its role in Park County mining history.