The Hartsel Lodge Adventure Rendezvous Oct 2-6 2025
- Thursday to Monday
ADVENTURE LOOPS IN EVERY DIRECTION
Over 15+ Adventure loops are available from the Center of Colorado.
- Navigate with Phone compatible Ride with GPS Tracks with Voice Nav.
- 3 Quarters of the loops are HD Pan American and Royal Enfield and 2 up suitable.
- 1/4 of the loops are somewhat challenging.
- This location would become the main road between the then prosperous town of Colorado Springs and the major gold mining camps of Breckenridge, Fairplay, Goldfield and Leadville.
- Sam Hartsel was the first rancher to settle in South Park, starting his ranch with oxen that had been used to bring gold seekers to this area of Colorado in the 1860’s.
- Hartsel expanded his original ranch by buying other surrounding spreads and soon had one of the largest ranches in the area.
- Sam had come west like so many others seeking his fortune searching for gold.
In the area of the Hartsel Ranch were hot springs that were used by the Ute Indians for bathing and for medicinal purposes.
- In the mid-1870s, Sam Hartsel capitalized on the therapeutic nature of the springs by erecting a bathhouse.
- The post office at the town of Hartsel was established on 16 March 1875.
- In 1875, he erected a hotel because his ranch could not accommodate all of the travelers seeking the healing properties of the spring.
- Hartsel’s accommodations at the hot springs were very popular with travelers and profits from the enterprise helped him enlarge his ranch holdings and buy more cattle.
- Hartsel eventually became the most important Colorado Midland railroad station in South Park.
- The Colorado Midland became known as the “Stockmen’s railroad” since shipping livestock constituted an important sector of its business.
Like many communities in South Park, Hartsel declined after the departure of the railroad.
- The once-popular hotel burned in 1972 and the hot springs were closed.
- Today, few businesses remain in the community, but Hartsel continues to be an important center for South Park ranching.
South Park – Gateway to the Rocky Mountains
Railroad History you can ride around Pikes Peak
EASY ACCESS TO PASSES IN EVERY DIRECTION
You can ride to all of the following locations and more with Phone compatible GPS tracks at the Hartsel Lodge Adventure Rendezvous.
- Thru Tincup, then over dirt Cumberland Pass to the old mining area and Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad stop town of Pitkin.
- Ride dirt Waunita & Blacksage Passes to the old railroad town of Sargents and dirt Marshall Pass.
- Marshall Pass was the first Railroad line over the Divide in Colorado, and then return to the Hartsel Lodge.
CRIPPLE CREEK & VICTOR EXAMPLE
The Cripple Creek & Victor Distract had 5 Railroads that serviced the old mining district.
- Ride to the Colorado Gambling Mecca of Cripple Creek.
- Visit the Molly Kathleen Mine.
Ride the Old Stagecoach Road up to Goldcamp Road to Victor.
- Ride down Phantom Canyon with it’s curved Railroad bridges to Canon City.
- Then ride up Shelf Road to Cripple on an Outstanding 3/4 smooth dirt road adventure around Pikes Peak.
RIDE THROUGH THE GARDEN OF THE GODS , RIDE UP PIKES PEAK
RIDE OVER INDEPENDENCE PASS TO ASPEN
An utterly Spectacular Ride when the trees are changing colors.
- Over one of the highest paved Passes in the Country.
RIDE A LOOP UP PIKES PEAK
RIDE MULTIPLE MOUNTAIN PASSES
RIDE BOREAS, LOVELAND & GUANELLA and KENOSHA PASSES.
Ride from the old railroad town of Como to Boreas Pass to Breckenridge & Silver Plume.
- To Georgetown and Guanella Pass, to Kenosha Pass to Jefferson and back to the Hartsel Lodge.
RIDE UP TO LEADVILLE. IT’S ALL DOWNHILL FROM THERE.
- Leadville is the highest City in the Country
