Western Slope
Hinsdale County
21 Porch Notes tied to Hinsdale County — the local details that change from one part of Colorado to the next.
Money and taxes (1)
Home and property (1)
Water and land (2)
Water and land
A well in Hinsdale County is not a promise of unlimited water
Many Hinsdale County properties rely on wells, but a well permit comes with conditions and limits set by the state, not the seller.
Read note ->Water and land
Boating Lake San Cristobal means following Colorado's mussel rules
Lake San Cristobal near Lake City is one of Colorado's larger natural lakes, and boats launched there fall under the state's aquatic nuisance species inspection rules.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire (7)
Outdoors and wildfire
Fishing rules around Lake City change from one water to the next
The Lake Fork of the Gunnison, Lake San Cristobal, and the small creeks near Lake City can each carry their own fishing rules, so check by water.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Handies, Redcloud and Sunshine sit on BLM high country south of Lake City
South of Lake City, several 14ers rise on land the Bureau of Land Management protects as wilderness study areas, including Handies Peak, often called the highest BLM-managed land outside Alaska.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Mill Creek Campground is a developed base on the Lake Fork
The BLM's Mill Creek Campground sits along the Lake Fork of the Gunnison southwest of Lake City, with a short season, bear-aware storage, and access to the high peaks and byway.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Moose now live in the high country near Lake City
Moose were brought to the upper Rio Grande region that includes Hinsdale County, and these large animals deserve plenty of space and quiet respect.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
The Alpine Loop is public land, and camping rules vary along it
The Alpine Loop backcountry byway out of Lake City crosses BLM and Forest Service land, and camping rules differ by stretch and can change, so check current agency rules.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
The Powderhorn Wilderness protects a vast stretch of flat alpine tundra
Northeast of Lake City, the Powderhorn Wilderness spreads across the Cannibal and Calf Creek plateaus, holding one of the largest stretches of gentle alpine tundra in the Lower 48.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
The Uncompahgre Wilderness holds two San Juan 14ers above Lake City
Uncompahgre Peak and Wetterhorn Peak rise inside the Uncompahgre Wilderness west of Lake City, where wilderness rules apply and the trailheads sit at the end of rough roads.
Read note ->Cars and driving (2)
Cars and driving
Getting in and out of Lake City means crossing high passes
Highway 149, the Silver Thread byway, is Lake City's main paved link and it crosses high mountain passes that demand care in winter.
Read note ->Cars and driving
The Alpine Loop crosses two high passes that need a real 4x4
The Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway links Lake City with Silverton and Ouray over Cinnamon and Engineer passes, on rough roads meant for high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Read note ->Local rules (1)
History and culture (7)
History and culture
Lake City and the Alfred Packer story, told plainly
Hinsdale County is tied to the Alfred Packer case from the 1870s, a grim chapter best understood from official and archival sources rather than legend.
Read note ->History and culture
Lake City exists because of mining on land taken from the Ute people
Lake City grew as a mining supply town in the 1870s on land the Ute people were forced to cede, history worth understanding plainly.
Read note ->History and culture
Much of downtown Lake City is a listed historic district
Lake City's downtown is a National Register historic district with dozens of original mining-era buildings, many rebuilt in brick and stone after an 1879 fire.
Read note ->History and culture
The 1877 Hinsdale County Courthouse is still doing its original job
Lake City's 1877 courthouse is described as Colorado's oldest courthouse still used for its original purpose, and it is the seat of county government today.
Read note ->History and culture
The Hinsdale County Museum keeps Lake City's mining-era story
The Hinsdale County Museum in Lake City, run by the county historical society, gathers the area's mining-era history in an 1877 downtown building.
Read note ->History and culture
The Ute-Ulay Mine and the ghost camps explain Hinsdale's high country
Silver and lead mines like the Ute-Ulay, plus vanished camps such as Capitol City, are why roads and ruins reach so far up Hinsdale County's gulches.
Read note ->History and culture
Why Hinsdale County exists, and where its name comes from
Hinsdale County was created in 1874 during the silver rush and named for George A. Hinsdale, with Lake City growing up where a toll road met the mines.
Read note ->