About Fairplay, Alma, South Park, & all of Park County

Park County was established in 1861 and is about 45 miles wide and 60 miles long (about 2,166 sq. miles). We have 3 wilderness areas, 2 state parks, 12 state wildlife areas, and more territory above 9,000 feet than any other county in Colorado!

Federal land makes up about 51% of Park County. State-owned lands comprises about 8% and 41% or so is private land. Pike National Forest is about 644,000 acres and we also have Buffalo Peaks, Mount Evans, and Lost Creek Wilderness Areas. Also within our boundaries is Elevenmile Canyon Recreation Area, Bristlecone Pine Scenic Area, and the Colorado Trail.

The beautiful mountains of the Mosquito Range partially defines our border and includes four peaks above 14,000 feet as well as 25 summits above 13,000 feet. South Park, a 900-square mile area, is located in the center of Park County. We have an average elevation of 9,000 feet and the terrain supports herds of elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and antelope. We also have beaver, raccoon, bobcat, lynx, mountain lion, black bear, and an assortment of waterfowl. Communites in South Park include Fairplay, Alma, Como, Jefferson, and Hartsel.

Important wildlife and aquatic recreation areas include Antero, Elevenmile, Tarryall, Spinney and Montgomery Reservoirs. They attract about a half-million people to the region each year for boating, hunting, fishing, and camping. Access to the County is provided by US Highways 285 and 24, Colorado Highway 9, and many County roads and National Forest access routes.

Fairplay's elevation is 9,957 feet and was founded in 1867. With a population of 678 people within the city limits and about 1,500 more in outlying areas, it is the County Seat and the center of county government. Included in the town is a school, library, post office, 2 motels, 2 hotels, new grocery store (expanding soon), 7 restaurants, 3 gas stations, 1 bank, numerous small businesses and real estate offices, and a brand new Recreation Center with a skate board park. Major events include "Get Your Ass Up the Pass" (the Burro Race) and the South Park Music Festival (now in it's second year and boasts 120 bands over a 2 day period...3 or 4 playing at the same time in different locations).

Alma is the highest incorporated town in North America at 10,350 feet. Founded in 1873, the town boasts a population of 233, with an estimated 1,000 residents in nearby subdivisions. Within it's limits is 2 restaurants/bars, a small convenience store, health food store/coffee shop, a couple real estate offices, and a post office. Alma's Festival in the Clouds is one of their major events.

Como is 9,800 feet above sea level, founded in 1879, and has a population of about 100 people in and around town. At the base of Boreas Pass (a gorgeous route over the mountains to Breckenridge...no 4-wheel drive required), Como is rich in mining and railroad history with many of the buildings remaining much as they were in the late 1800s (with the exception of electricity and indoor plumbing). The Como Roundhouse has been restored and is on the National Register of Historic places. Businesses include the post office, Como Mercantile (formerly known as Allen's Corner Saloon), the Como Depot Hotel (restored and is now a restaurant open May through September), the Como Mammoth Museum (made from a miner's home), and the Mountain Man Gallery (great arts and crafts store). Their 4th of July celebration attracts many people each year.

Hartsel was founded in 1866 and has an elevation of 8,860 feet. It has 2 general stores, a gas station, a restaurant, trading post and post office. Near 3 reservoirs, Hartsel receives heavy traffic in the summer and is a favorite of fisherman and boaters alike.

Jefferson is just over Kenosha Pass on Highway 285 and is 9,499 feet above sea level. Jefferson is surrounded by large cattle ranches and sparsely populated subdivisions. It has a gas station, a couple of real estate offices, a general store, and the historic Jefferson Depot is on the National Register of Historic Places (has a gift shop and snack bar).

Other towns in Park County include Bailey, Guffey, Lake George, Shawnee, and Grant. They range from 7,700 to 8,700 feet in elevation and have post offices and small general stores. They are stopover favorites for travelers going back to Colorado's major metropolitan areas.

Please visit our web site at http://www.timberwolfrealty.com/ and click on Favorite Links from our Home page to see more of what Fairplay, Alma, South Park, and all of Park County has to offer.


Thanks for visiting and we hope this provided you with information about the area. We welcome your comments about this entry and possible future articles.

John R. Faile
Timber Wolf Realty
719.839.9281 (Cell)
800.960.9653 (Free)
john@SummiTreasures.com
http://www.summitreasures.com/

(All data obtained from the Park County Tourism & Community Development Office. Please call for your free copy of the Park County Profile.)

Location, Location, Location!

How many times have you heard "Location, location, location!"? Well, it's true! 9 out of 10 people come in to our office looking for "a log cabin, on a couple of acres, with views and trees, privacy, close to the Breckenridge Ski Resort, and would love to have a stream, river, or pond on it". And Fairplay has it all!

Let's break down the most common desires and tell you what Fairplay, Alma and the surrounding areas have to offer.

1. Log Cabin - Most people's dream is to own a log cabin in the mountains. Usually a 3 bedroom or a 2 bedroom plus loft with 2 bathrooms. Park County has many log cabins to offer at a much better price per square foot than the nearby resort towns. Of course, we also have many other types of homes as well.

2. Acreage - Fairplay and the surrounding South Park area has very affordable acreage compared to the resort areas. Where as a half an acre or so about 10 minutes from Breckenridge starts at $50,000 and an in-town Breckenridge 1.14 acre lot is priced at $1,500,000; Fairplay acreage starts at $16,900 for a .92 acre lot within about 40 minutes to Breckenridge, all the way up to $2,130,000 for a great 2,123 acre ranch within an hour to Breck.

3. Views and Trees - South Park is a very large and a geographically diverse area. We have land available up high (11,000 feet or so) and down low (9,000 feet or so), with and without trees and views (and rock out-croppings). And we do have some of the best views around. Of course as with anywhere you go, the better the views and trees, the higher the lot prices.

4. Privacy - There are plenty of areas in Park County with privacy. Very few areas in the resort towns have privacy but they do exist (at a higher price, of course).

5. Close to Breckenridge - Alma is about 20 minutes to Breckenridge, Fairplay about 25 minutes. Basically, if you're willing to drive a little further, you'll get much more for your money and still be close to world-class skiing (not to mention a Jack Nicklaus designed golf course). Just as an fyi...Keystone is 25 minutes from Breckenridge, Copper is 40 minutes to Breck, Arapahoe Basin is 40 minutes to Breck, Loveland about an hour away. Vail is a little over an hour from Breck (all times approximate).

6. Streams, Rivers, or Ponds - The Fairplay area is well known for it's Gold-Medal Fly Fishing and we also have several lakes and ponds within driving distance.

Please visit our web site at http://www.timberwolfrealty.com/ and click on Subdivision Map from our Home page to view a map of the area.

Thanks for your time and we hope this helped. We look forward to hearing from you!
John R. Faile
Timber Wolf Realty
719.839.9281 (Cell)
800.960.9653 (Free)
john@SummiTreasures.com
http://www.summitreasures.com/



(all data obtained from the Summit and Park County MLS as of today)

Welcome!

Welcome and thank you for visiting our Blog. We at Timber Wolf Realty strive to provide you, our clients and friends, with useful information in order for you to make a better and more informed decision in regards to buying or selling property in Park County, Colorado. To that end, we've started this Blog in hopes that we could provide information about Rocky Mountain properties on a more regular basis. Whether you are buying or selling or just thinking about investment properties in Fairplay or Alma and surrounding areas, we hope to provide you with more of the information you need to make your decision.

Please let us know if you would like us to cover a specific topic of interest and we will do our best to provide you with the information you need.

Thank you again and we look forward to continuing our tradition of service excellence.

Best Regards,
John R. Faile
Timber Wolf Realty
691 Main Street * P.O. Box 1555
Fairplay, CO 80440
800.960.9653 * 719.836.2000
john@SummiTreasures.com
www.Summitreasures.com