|
| | | |
| |
|
| Hiking | 1.50 Miles |
|
| | Hiking | 1.50 Miles | | | |
| | | |
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | The Lake Dillon area has an interesting history. The town of Dillon had originally sat at the convergence of three rivers. Residents were forced to move when the railroad came through, and then forced to move yet again when it was decided that Denver needed a reserve water supply in the mountains. Some of the buildings from Old Dillon were moved, piece by piece, to what would become the northeastern shore of the reservoir. Amongst the buildings that were moved were the old schoolhouse (now a museum), a few private residences, and some restaurant buildings. One restaurant, The Mint, now sits in Silverthorne. The wooden boards were numbered and put back exactly as they were removed. Another, the Arapahoe Cafe, is in the new Dillon. The floorboards of this restaurant are somewhat uneven, and the general structure is not completely square. The remainder of the buildings were bulldozed, and then in 1963 the old town was flooded.
This hike takes you from a trailhead on the Frisco side of the Lake Dillon Dam, up to where the old reservoir sat. The hike itself travels slowly upward through evergreens and wildflowers, then tops out in a bare muddy patch above the lake. There isn't much to look at now, even with a vivid imagination. The old reservoir had to be drained a few years ago for safety reasons; had the old earthen dam broken, it could have meant destruction of several structures in Silverthorne below. There are plans to rebuild the old dam and refill it in the future, but at present the area is barren, save for some heavy machinery. The views of the new lake are beautiful, and parts of Dillon, Silverthorne, and Frisco are visible. Some interesting features besides the lake include the Tenmile Range and the rounded Buffalo Mountain of the Gore Range. |
|
Wildflowers Observation Light
|
|
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
Route Editor
Route Scout
