National Register of Historic Places

Summit Lake Park

Idaho Springs, Clear Creek County, Colorado
Listed
February 24, 1995
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
95000110

About this property

Summit Lake Park is a park located along Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway about 64 miles (100 km) west of Denver, Colorado. The park is 160 acres (0.65 km2) in size and contains alpine tundra. Land to the east of the lake is in a state of permafrost which helps to prevent drainage of the area. During the summer, the park is filled with wildflowers, some of which have not been found anywhere else outside of the Arctic Circle. The park is named after Summit Lake, the headwaters of Bear Creek. Summit Lake is a tarn which sits at 12,836 feet (3,912 m) elevation in a glacial cirque on the north face of Mount Blue Sky and the east face of Mount Spalding. To the north, there is a col (12,855 feet/3918 m elevation) looking down into the chain of two cirques holding the Chicago Lakes at the headwaters of Chicago Creek. By one count that includes several unnamed lakes, Summit Lake is the 13th highest lake in the United States. In 1915, the USGS reported that Summit Lake was the highest lake in Colorado, at 12,740 feet. Later secondary sources occasionally report it as the highest lake in the United States. The land was acquired by Denver in 1924 and incorporated into the Denver Mountain Parks system. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in April 1965. National Register of Historic Places listings in Clear Creek County, Colorado

Location

Idaho Springs, Clear Creek County, Colorado
39.60002, -105.64506

Categories

ARCHITECTURELANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUREENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONCONSERVATIONCOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Echo Lake Park
Listed
4.9 mi
McClellan House
Industrial
7.4 mi
Ore Processing Mill and Dam
Industrial
7.7 mi
Hotel de Paris
Industrial
7.7 mi
Lebanon and Everett Mine Tunnels
Industrial
7.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Summit Lake Park listed on the National Register?

Summit Lake Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 24, 1995.

What type of historic resource is Summit Lake Park?

Summit Lake Park is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Summit Lake Park?

The period of significance for Summit Lake Park is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Summit Lake Park?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Summit Lake Park will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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