Mexican Park

Maps:

USGS 7.5' Map:

Elkhorn Mountain

Statistics:

Difficulty:	Number:	Miles:	Altitude:	Obstacles:	Time:
Easy 3	FR501	1.70	8,600 ft.	NA	1 hour

County:

Routt

Adopted by:

Managed by:

Routt National Forest,
Hahns Peak / Bears Ears Ranger District

925 Weiss Drive
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487-9315

970-870-2299

Summary:

Mexican Park is a short 4WD road that runs through a small park along King Solomon Creek.

Attractions:

Access to camping and a grave marker.

Seasonal
Closure:

Forest Service - from December 2 to June 14

Best Time:

June - Best
July - Best
August - Best
September - Best
October - May be snowed in

Trail Heads
Accessed:

Camping:

There are a few dispersed campsites along the length of the road.

Base Camp:

This would be a good area to base camp and explore the road networks north of Hanhs Peak.

Fall Colors:

Poor - Mostly pine forest.

Navigation:

From Hahns Peak Village, CO, head northwest on County Road 129 toward Lucky Camp Lane for 5.2 miles. Turn right onto Forest Road 550 and continue to follow Forest Road 550 for 3.8 miles. Turn left onto Forest Road 501, Mexican Park 4WD road.

History:

The story of the small park, now called Dead Mexican Park, is that in 1913 sheepherder Joe Belardi went to Columbine to collect wages for him and his partner sheepherders. He went to Columbine's only saloon, got drunk and gambled away all his wages and the wages of his two Mexican sheepherder partners. When he went back to camp, he murdered the two Mexican sheepherders and burned their bodies in the camp fire. The murderer was later apprehended, spent 5 years in prison in Canyon City. When he got out, he returned to sheep herding, only to be found dead laying in his campfire years later in Garfield County. There is a small marker along the side of Mexican Park 4WD road placed at the spot of this brutal murder in Routt County.

Jessen, Kenneth Ghost Towns Colorado Style, Volumn 1, 1st ed. Loveland, Colorado: J.V. Publications, 1998. Print.
Wolle, Muriel Sibell Stampede to Timberline Athens, Ohio: Swallow Press, 1949. Print.

Description:

Starting from the south end where Whiskey Park, FR550, road heads north out of Little Red Park the Mexican Park road will split off of the Whiskey Park road and head down a small hill into a little park along King Solomon Creek. As you enter the park on the right side of the road you will pass a group of trees with a wooden fence around it. This is the Dead Mexican marker. Opposite this marker there is a dispersed campsite on the left side of the road.

	South end, muddy after rains photo by: Adam M

The road will head across the small park and back into the forest.

	Middle section photo by: Adam M

After a short distance you will pass a dispersed campsite on the left and then another on the right. Continuing you will head through the forest, a mix of aspen and pine, before dropping down a small hill into an open area.

	North end photo by: Adam M

The road will end at the Independence, FR503, road.

Data updated - February 11, 2024 4WD Road driven - September 3, 2023 Copyright 4X4Explore.com - 2000-2024