South Park is a landscape shaped by centuries of human history, natural forces and the communities that continue to call this part of Colorado home. The South Park National Heritage Area map offers a way to see many of those stories together, from historic ranches and mining sites to railroads, reservoirs, wildlife areas and scenic routes.
Use the map below to explore the South Park National Heritage Area and discover some of the places that help tell the story of this remarkable landscape.
The South Park National Heritage Area stretches across a large portion of Park County, encompassing the broad South Park basin and many of the historic communities, transportation routes and landscapes associated with the region.
On the map, the National Heritage Area boundary is outlined in purple, making it easy to see how the designated area relates to communities including Fairplay, Alma, Como, Jefferson, Hartsel, Lake George and Guffey. The map also shows nearby communities such as Bailey, Grant, Shawnee and Pine Junction, helping provide geographic context for the heritage area within the larger county.
Rather than representing a single historic site, the National Heritage Area brings together a much larger cultural landscape. Historic ranches, mining communities, railroad corridors, homesteads, scenic areas and waterways are all part of the story represented on the map.
Look closely and the map becomes much more than a way to find towns and highways.
Historic railroad sites such as the Como Depot and Roundhouse, Jefferson Depot and Midland Railroad Tunnels appear alongside remnants of South Park’s mining history, including the Paris Mill, London Mill, Magnolia Mill and Leavick Mill.
The map also identifies places connected to ranching and settlement, historic schools and churches, museums and galleries, pioneer cabins and numerous natural and scenic areas. Several historic driving routes are marked as well, including the Boreas Pass, Buckskin Gulch, Mosquito Pass, Horseshoe/Fourmile and Weston Pass Historic Auto Tours.
Together, these places help illustrate how geography, transportation, industry and settlement shaped South Park over time.
Some of the places shown on this map are also featured in our South Park Heritage Experience video series.
Near Alma, the map identifies the Bristlecone Pine Scenic Area, part of a high-elevation landscape where ancient bristlecone pines have endured generations of extreme weather and changing conditions.
Our Windy Ridge Bristlecone Pines video takes a closer look at this remarkable landscape, its history and why protecting sensitive places like Windy Ridge matters.
On the eastern side of the heritage area near Lake George, the map traces the Elevenmile Canyon Scenic & Historic Auto Tour and shows Eleven Mile Reservoir and other historic and natural features of the surrounding landscape.
Our Elevenmile Canyon in Lake George, Colorado South Park Heritage Experience explores how this dramatic canyon became part of the region’s transportation and recreation story, connecting its historic past with the landscape visitors see today.
The South Park National Heritage Area contains far more than can be represented by any single map. But this map provides a starting point for understanding how the region’s communities, historic sites, transportation corridors and natural landscapes connect.
Whether you’re researching South Park history, planning to explore the region or simply curious about a place you’ve seen along the road, use the map to discover another piece of South Park’s story.
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