Town of Fairplay
Summertime in Como Park County Near Breckenridge
By RealEstateColorado.com

There is a spectacular summertime drive going southeast from Breckenridge real estate over the Boreas Pass.  Following Route 9 along the old narrow-gauge railroad route, the fishtailing gravel road gradually climbs and crosses the Continental Divide at an elevation of 11,482 feet.  On the descent midst the tranquil summertime beauty of real estate in Park County, is the old town of Como, Colorado at about 9,800 feet. 

South Park County real estate is an affordable option for picking up a nice company retreat or a good-sized lot to build your Colorado dream home.  Only 9 miles northeast of popular real estate in Fairplay, and a hop, skip and a jump from several world-class ski areas, property for sale in Como is just beginning to be noticed.  The mountains northwest of town form a dramatic background to Como, which sits on the flank of Little Baldy Mountain.  Large lots for sale in Park County are perfect setting for your company retreat or a second home or cabin.  

Some say that the town was named after an Italian town with the same name by Italians who came here for the Pike's Peak Gold Rush.  In 1879, the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad hired Italian stonemasons to build a stone roundhouse, which would service trains commuting over Kenosha Pass to reach the silver mining areas.  The roundhouse also served as a junction for trains going northward over Boreas Pass and southward toward Fairplay, and over Trout Creek Pass at the western end of South Park. 

Development continued until 1910, when a major tunnel served by the Colorado and Southern who had taken over the line collapsed.  The tracks through town were pulled up in 1938, and the stone building went on to be used as a warehouse, sawmill, and barn.  Fortunes improved in 1983 when it was finally registered as a national historic site, was purchased and began a series of restorations.
 
The stonework of the roundhouse tells of the mineral deposits nearby.  The interior semicircle facing the turntable consists of cut sandstone that forms charming arches and pillars.  Other walls contain a few pieces of andesite.  The origin of the andesite is apparent at the Boreas Pass.  The sandstone comes from North Tarryall Creek.

Named for the Greek god of the north wind, Boreas Pass withstands blizzards capable of piling up to 10 feet of snow during the winter.  During summertime, however, a hiker can look up into the infinite view.  At his/her feet are abundant fields of over 70 species of happy wildflowers, including gilia, lining the trail on the east side of the Divide.   
 
But, don’t limit the possibilities.  There are great hiking, mountain bike, and horseback riding trails throughout the area forests.  All are multiuse trails and most allow horses.

   · Arapaho National Forest Searle/Kokomo Pass, Miners Creek Trail

   · Colorado State Forest

   · Jefferson County Free Space and Alderfer/Three Sisters Park

   · Golden Gate Canyon State Park

   · Routt National Forest Hinman Trail, Morrison Divide Trail, North Fork/Wyoming Trail/Trail Creek Loop, Ute Trail, West Fish Creek Trail

   · San Isabel National Forest Birdseye Gulch Road

   · White River National Forest 10th Mountain Huts, Gore Range Trail

   · Pike National Forest Abyss Trail, Brookside McCurdy Trail, Gold Dust Trail

   · Routt National Forest Hinman Trail