Ahhh, Woodland Park in the summer time! Living in a town of about 7,000 residents, we locals know you can’t do much of anything without someone else knowing about it. Typical circumstances would allow for us to chit chat in the grocery store, at the post office and the bank. But when summer hits, all the rules change.
The constant influx of SUV’s, campers, RV’s and 5th wheels along highway 24 and through the main drag of town remind us locals we are not alone. A visit to the grocery store (my fav: City Market) seems to transport us to the land of confusion. There are so many faces we don’t recognize! The checkers don’t have time to congratulate me on my 3rd trip there that day. Yes, that does happen for me!
I’ve heard many a local begrudging our tourist crowd. They come from Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Arizona and where ever else. They like to bring their grandkids and they drive VERY SLOWLY. But let us to not be too hasty to judge. They also bring their money, and their happiness. We resident Woodland Parkers may feel our town has been taken over. But, who can blame them??
We are so very lucky to live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. The afternoon rain showers offer a wonderful reprieve from mid day heat (have we even hit 90 yet this summer-I think not). Just put yourself in the middle of Texas with flat land and 100 degree weather. When I see grandparents and grandkids in the grocery store stocking up their campers and vacation homes; I smile and just imagine those kids growing up with wonderful memories of grand pop and mammy taking them to Woodland Park and the beautiful mountains for the summer. And when they get old enough, they’ll be calling me to buy their own little piece of heaven right here in Colorful Colorado. Count your blessings my friends!
Woodland Park, Colorado is known as the "City Above the Clouds." At an elevation of 8,465 feet above sea level, Woodland Park is truly a high-mountain paradise. Boasting an average of 330 days of sunshine annually, Woodland Park is a short 17 miles from the city of Colorado Springs.
For that matter, Woodland Park is a short 35 minutes from Cripple Creek (an old mining town that now features limited stakes gaming), about 1 ½ hours from Breckenridge Ski Area, 25 minutes from Mueller State Park, 35 minutes from the Colorado Springs Airport (which has direct flights to all major cities), 35 minutes from The Air Force Academy and Fort Carson, and 10 minutes away from the Pikes Peak Toll Road.
While Woodland Park isn´t the county seat of Teller County, it is the most populated town with about 7,500 residents. Woodland Park offers many of the amenities you would find in a small city, while maintaining its secluded and picturesque appeal. There are numerous restaurants, shops, gyms, banks, coffee houses, bars, supermarkets, salons, churches, and drugstores. We even have our own Dinosaur Museum!
Woodland Park is also the center of the RE-2 School District, and hosts Woodland Park High School, Woodland Park Middle School, Gateway Elementary School, and Columbine Elementary School. For you history buffs, Teller County was formed from portions of El Paso and Fremont counties and officially became Teller County on March 23rd, 1899. Before 1890 most of what is now Teller County was uninhabited-- an area that people traveled through to get somewhere else.
This area was known mostly for the old Ute Pass Trail which was an important route because it offered passage through the front range of the Rockies for Indians, buffalo, explorers, prospectors, and cowboys and their cattle. The first permanent settlement in Teller County occurred around 1870 and was at the summit of the Ute Trail in what is now Divide. After having many names, like Rhyolite, Belleview and Theodore, Divide stuck because the Arkansas and South Platte watershed divide in this area.
As the tracks of the Colorado Midland Railroad neared Divide in 1887 boarding houses, saloons and restaurants sprang up to meet the demand of railroad workers. Woodland Park, originally called Manitou Park, was laid out along the Midland Railroad tracks and was quickly discovered by tuberculosis patients looking for a place to recover. The town became a popular spot for tourists and passengers on the train when the new hotel, Harvey House, was opened in 1890.
At that time there were 120 residents in Woodland Park. If you were to ask the average resident their feelings about Woodland Park, you will find that one word is used time and time again. That word is, "Home." Speaking as a resident, I can imagine living in other places-but I would never really want to. Clean air, mild weather, and stunning beauty truly make Woodland Park a community of which I am privileged to be a member. Let me help you find your Dream Home!
Keli is The Woodland Park real estate expert! Search listings and register to receive free e-mail updates. Contact Keli Konczak to help you find your Colorado Dream Property!
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