If you are in the Dillon/Breckenridge area of Colorado and perhaps want a day off from hiking, fishing mountain biking or shopping why not take a trek into South Park for a view of Colorado that is a bit off the beaten path?

Looking for a bit of history with your mountain adventure? If you are in the Dillon/Breckenridge/Frisco area, consider driving a loop from Breckenridge to South Park over Hoosier Pass and returning via Boreas Pass. Take SH 9 (exit 203 on I-70) and proceed south out of Breckenridge over Hoosier Pass toward the towns of Alma and Fairplay. The drive time is about 35 minutes. You may need a bit of patience here if you find yourself behind a horse trailer or mega camper as there are quite a few hairpin turns at the beginning.  As you drop into Fairplay, you will be in South Park – a vast area known for mining and ranching (think taxidermy, not ski resort). This is where you will find South Park City – an historic preservation of the town from the 1880’s with restored buildings and homes. To use the cliché, here history comes alive. It is wonderful for kids as one can wander in and out of the buildings, ring the old school bell, visit the stables and glorify modern medicine after seeing the antiquated doctor’s office. The Saloon is not to be missed with its quintessential western bar and spittons – as if the owner closed the door in 1885 and did not return.  There are a few places to eat in town. The Brown Burro with a Tex-Mex menu, Millonzi’s for bar and pub fare, and Silver Scoop with ice cream and sandwiches.  

Leaving Fairplay, take SH 285 north toward Denver and Jefferson. After 10 miles or approximately 15 minutes, you will see the sign for Como and Boreas Pass Road at mile marker 192. Take a left onto the road and into Como. The “almost ghost town” of Como was named by Italian miners that immigrated to the area in the 1860’s. There are still a number of historical properties trying to hold on, some privately owned and in the process of restoration. It was also a hub for the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad which operated into Denver and over Boreas Pass. The last passenger train departed for Denver in 1937. If you are a railroad buff, you will be interested to see the impressive stone Round House built in 1881 that was a maintenance and repair facility for the railroad.

As you leave Como, the road becomes a gravel and dirt mixture. Look for and follow signs for Boreas Pass and Breckenridge. In good weather, most types of vehicles can easily manage the road but in wet weather four-wheel drive is recommended. Stay alert for dirt bikes and mountain bikes that seem to appear out of nowhere. You will pass through glorious stands of Aspen as you climb. As you approach the summit you will see Mt. Silverheels in the distance to your left; named for the local dance hall girl, Jesse Silverheels, who nursed miners through the small pox epidemic of 1861. At the summit is the Section House, another vestige of the railroad, where trains could re-supply.  Almost at timberline, the views are stunning both of the mountains and the expansive vista of South Park. From here it will be about 15 minutes down before the ski slopes of Breckenridge come into view. Approximate total drive time is: 2.5 hours. South Park City is open from May 15 to October 15. More information can be found at www.southparkcity.org.