Kenosha Pass, South Park, and Como are all located southwest of Denver, and can be reached via Colorado Rt. 285. Boreas Pass seperates South Park, from the Breckenridge/Dillon/Frisco area.
If you have never visited the Colorado Rockies, you might be suprised by the topography, the first time you visit. Inspite of the Rockies having a reputation for being a formidable mountain range, there are areas, between different groups of peaks, that open up in vast flat areas, or Parks, between the mountains and passes. Perhaps the best known are South Park(thanks to TV) and Middle Park(with such places as Winter Park, Frasier, and Kremling). Ranching and agriculture are commonly conducted in these areas.
A bit of history about these 4 locations, for those so inclined. Kenosha Pass, South Park, Como, and Boreas Pass, were all locations on the former Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad. The Denver, South Park & Pacific was chartered to build a railroad from the Denver area, through South Park, to California, and the Los Angles area, in the late 1800's. Shortly after it was chartered, gold, silver, and other minerals were found in the hills around Leadville, Breckenridge, Fairplay, and several other places along, or near its planned route. When these minerals were found, the only way to get them to processing facilities, and market, was to transport them over various mountainous routes, using one sort of pack animal, or another. With the Civil War over, and railroad fever being in high gear, many of the mining interestes looked at having a railroad(either narrow gauge, or standard guage) built into the various mining districts as having a very beneficial effect. One of the companies chartered at the time, among many, was the South Park. With the discovery of the mineral riches of the area becoming increasingly important, the South Park, gave up on its original purpose, to build a line from Denver to Los Angles, and instead focused on building lines that would enable mine owners, and such, to bring their riches to market more economically. As such, the South Park, built its line southwest from Denver, over Kenosha Pass, into South Park, where it reached, or set up the town of Como.
Como was a 'railroad town,' right from the start. By railroad town, I mean a town that was built with the coming of the railroad, say, similiar to Cheyenne, WY, only smaller. Most railroad towns were set up, by a railroad, as a place to service engines and equipment, and to act as a base of operations, for further additions to the railroad. Most people in a railroad town, work for the railroad, or directly support its employees.
Como was a junction, or division point on the Denver, South Park & Pacific. As such, it had a large railroad depot, that contained company offices, and a roundhouse, to maintain the railroad's steam engines. At Como, the mainline divided, with one part continuing on towards Fairplay, the infamous Alpine Tunnel, and Gunnison, CO, the end of the line. The other line headed northwest, towards Boreas Pass(over 11,000 ft.) on its way towards Breckenridge, Frisco, Fremont Pass, and ending in Leadville.
The Denver, South Park & Pacific, eventually came to the attention of the owners of the Union Pacific Railroad, for a number of reasons. The Union Pacific had been charted by Congress near the end of the Civil War, and was the first Transcontinental railroad, that connected California, and the west coast, with the rest of the nation. While the South Park was very important to the financial success of mining operations in Colorado, it had been financed, and operated in a speculative fashion. Eventually, due to a number of factors, the Union Pacific declared bankruptcy in the 1890s, and due to its near liquidation, was forced to sell control the the South Park, to the Colorado & Southern, which became a subsidiary of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, or Burlington Route, railroad, in 1908.
As the mines began to play out, and the price of silver was no longer guaranteed by the Government, portions of the South Park, or Colorado Southern, were abandoned, and ripped up. By World War II, the only substantial portion of the original South Park, still used was a part of the Leadville line, between Leadville, and the large Climax Molybednum mine, at the top of Fremont Pass.
Today, you can still ride on a good portion of the line between Leadville, and Climax, on the tourist line Leadville, Colorado & Southern. The Burlington Route, was merged into several other large western railroads in 1970, to form the Burlington Northern. As of 1994, the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe railroads merged to form the BNSF Railroad. The Union Pacific still exists today as a major western railroad.
1.
2.
3.
1. View at the top of Kenosha Pass, Colorado Rt. 285. Elevation here is between 10,000 and 11,000 feet above sea level.
2. View of South Park, heading down the western, or southern slope of Kenosha Pass, Rt. 285.
3. View of a reconstructed Denver, South Park & Pacific station, at Jefferson, CO. Several years ago, a model railroad magazine featured an article on the reconstruction of this station.
4.
5.
6.
4. View from Rt. 285, looking west, toward Boreas, or Gueneullas Pass.
5. Driving Rt. 285 through the South Park of Colorado. Flat, and not a lot of trees.
6. View from Rt. 285 in the South Park of Colorado, looking west.
7.
8.
7. View of the town of Como, taken from Rt. 285. Como is a historal district within Colorado. Important Note: All of the buildings within Como are privately owned, and located on private property. There is a sign stating this as you drive into town. As such, you are welcome to look around, however treaspassing is illegal, and strickly enforced.
8. View of the Como roundhouse, as you drive into town. Most streets in town are dirt. The roundhouse, is the stone building, with the two windows, adjacent to the fence post, in the foreground of the picture.
Boreas Pass is located at over 11,000 feet, between South Park, Como, and the Breckenridge area.
1.
2.
3.
1, 2, 3. Views along the road, climbing up the east side(from Como, in South Park) of Boreas Pass. Note that the locals indicated that the aspen were the most colorful they have seen in about 30 years.
4.
5.
6.
4. Summit of Boreas Pass. An old, much traveled, Colorado & Southern boxcar sits there.
5. When the Colorado & Southern used Boreas Pass, the railroad maintained an engine house there, as well as had a few buildings to house company employees and their families. These small buildings were used by railroad workers, who maintained the rail line, over the pass. Bet it was cold here in the Winter.
6. This is a water tank, on the western side(towards Breckenridge) of Boreas Pass. Steam locomotives used much water to climb the pass. In railroad days, there were several such water tanks on each side of the pass.
Back to JCS Colorado Photos homepage
Updated 11/11/2003
(c) Copyright, J. Carl Shaw, 2003. All rights reserved. Photos may be used by giving photographer credit.