ALMA

Alma, northwest of Fairplay, once served as the ore-processing center of South Park and once numbered 900 residents. The commercial district also served as an entertainment district, because the manager of the Moose Mine would not allow saloons or gambling in Dudley - a town located just a mile away. Today many visitors chuckle at a sign above a local drinking establishment that says: Alma's Only Bar.

After President Lincoln's assassination, many visitors arrived by train to climb Mount Lincoln. As Leadville's population boomed, Alma's began to decline. Before leaving town, catch a glimpse into the life of the early pioneers at Alma's cemetery. One stone is carved with a cryptic message; I love you but please go to sleep.

Above Alma may be one of the most interesting spectacles in South Park, the Bristlecone Pine Scenic Area. You can drive part way to the site, then hike the remainder in summer or ski it in winter. Standing on a barren bluff overlooking the valley are 2,000-year-old bristlecone pine trees, gnarled into a grotesque beauty by the wind.

This mountain town sits at the feet of five 14,000-foot peaks. Located along Route 9, north of Fairplay and south of Hoosier Pass, the current town lies downstream from the original Alma, or Buckskin Joe, as it was known during the mining heyday. At one time, area mines produced over $1,500,000 annually, before the ore petered out and a smallpox epidemic all but wiped out town residents.

Relics and spirits remind Alma visitors of the town's mining history. The Sweet Home Mine still produces world-class specimens of rhodochrosite, a mineral known for its beautiful pink rose color.

Like oft-told tales of lost ore veins, Alma ghost stories abound, including that of Silver Heels, a mining camp dancer who stayed behind to nurse ill residents during the smallpox-induced exodus. Near the epidemic's end, she contracted the disease, which left her beautiful face scarred. She was never seen again, but to this day, residents and visitors alike claim to have seen a veiled figure walking among the graves of smallpox victims.

Today Alma welcomes mountain-hiking enthusiasts, ghost hunters and tourists from Leadville and Breckenridge. Must-sees include Kite Lake, at a crisp 12,400 feet, the ghost town of Buckskin Joe and Alma's spooky cemetery.

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FAIRPLAY

If you picture a Gold Rush miner as a grizzled old guy leading a burro, you might still see that today in Fairplay! Especially during its annual World Champion Pack-Burro Races and celebration. There's also an annual Mountain Man Rendezvous, where you can watch re-enactments of Colorado's earliest days.

And speaking of early days, it doesn't get much earlier than this: at the nearby Bristlecone Pine Scenic Area outside of the nearby town of Alma, you'll see trees that were seedlings roughly 2,000 years ago. Twisted and gnarled, these ancient conifers were shaped by the ceaseless winds that blow across the mountaintops.

In Fairplay itself, be sure to visit the South Park City museum. It has a main street flanked by 30 or so historic buildings brought here from the surrounding area including a trapper's cabin, a saloon, general store, blacksmith shop and other businesses that thrived in the late 1800s. This amazing collection is only open during the summer months and is run entirely by volunteers.

Fairplay has also been called the fishing capital of Colorado. Anglers, be sure to bring your tackle, as you’ll want to throw a line in any time of year.

In the days of the early pioneers, hopeful prospectors fanned out across the area. The town of Fair Play was established in 1859, where even-handed justice should rule. Fair Play was located at the junction of Beaver Creek and the South Platte River and served as a supply center for nearby mining camps. At its peak, the Hallock and Davidson Lumber Mill reportedly produced 30,000 feet of lumber and 75,000 shingles a week. In 1861 a post office was established for the town's 100 or so citizens. Six years later Fair Play became the county seat of Park County and the log courthouse from Buckskin Joe was moved to Fair Play. With a school, several churches and hotels and approximately 60 buildings, Fair Play was rechristened as South Park City in 1869, then changed back to Fairplay (one word) in 1874. As the mining industry faded, tourism, along with cattle-raising and hay-growing, became the economic mainstays of the area.

On the edge of Fairplay lies South Park City, an extraordinary museum with 32 buildings. It was created in the late 1950s by a group of citizens concerned that the old mining and ghost towns of Park County were being dismantled and destroyed. The group recreated an 1800s gold mining town. Buildings were brought in from the high gulches of the Mosquito Range and from mining towns such as Alma, Leavick, Buckskin Joe and Montgomery. Most of these buildings showcase an array of period furnishings and equipment.

Designated as a Colorado Heritage Area, the real South Park is an immense mountain park replete with historic sites, pioneer ranches, wildlife areas, trout streams and museums. Surrounded by wilderness, Platte Canyon was carved by the South Platte River, which runs through Bailey. Secluded family lodges are nestled in authentic Western settings near Bailey, Lake George and Fairplay.

In the heart of Colorado lies South Park, an area that manages to encompass all that is Colorado. Fourteen-thousand-foot peaks. A river valley. Mining history. Ancient trees. Abundant wildlife. And, today, the subject of some humor and a popular animated television series. But the South Park of TV fame bears little resemblance to the real place.

Situated in Park County, it's one of only three designated Heritage Areas in the state. Known for its beautiful rolling valley, the term South Park was first used in the 1840s by hunters and trappers who traversed the Rocky Mountains. Ten years later, word spread across America of three successful gold strikes in Colorado. Fortune seekers flocked to the area and gold camps sprang up overnight. From 1860-1863 Park County boasted $1.5 Million in gold extraction. By the 1880s the area was known for its mineral springs, hunting, fishing and wildflower meadows.

or more info go to http://www.parkco.us