The Gold Rush… ghost towns… steam trains…the Wild West… the nation’s only Mexican bull fight -- this Heritage Tour app brings it all to life. Your destination is Teller County, crowned by Pikes Peak in the heart of Colorado. As a major gateway to the West, the area’s colorful history begins with the Native American Utes and unfolds with the mountain men, homesteaders, prospectors and mining magnates who traversed the ancient corridor now known as Ute Pass. The character of the region still reflects the influence and the imprint of each.
The app guides you on a driving tour composed of seven distinct routes. The routes can be taken singly or in sequence. Each includes suggested stops, as well as points of interest that can be viewed from the road. Together, the routes cover the major attractions of the county: gold mining (historic and present day), pioneering railroads that served the mining and timber industries, National Historic Districts and landmarks, Victorian architecture and stunning mountain scenery. Pike National Forest, Mueller State Park and open spaces offer hiking, camping, wildlife viewing, and relaxation. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument showcases 34 million-year-old fossils and some of the largest petrified redwood stumps in the world. Audio and video clips convey the flavor of the past and explain the present.
The app was produced by the Heritage Tourism Committee of the Teller Historic and Environmental Coalition. T.H.E. Coalition was founded in 2000 to facilitate preservation of the historic, cultural, environmental, and scenic resources in Teller County, and to broaden public understanding regarding the significance of those resources.