What Denver is known for

The [San Isabel] Mt. Evans Region, which is located in Colorado, consists of national parks, mountains, and cities. The Mount Evans area consists of numerous sights and destinations available for tourists. Colorado's highest byway leading through the region offers panoramic views of Mt. Evans. It is recommended to begin the route in the town of Idaho Springs, where the former gold camp is located, enabling tourists to explore the mining history of the local area. The scenic byway then leads alongside the mountain with glacier-cut valleys and rocky peaks. Occasionally, one can spot wild animals, such as Mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and marmots, along the way. Other attractions in the local area include the Mount Goliath Natural Area, home of the Dos Chappell Nature Center and Summit Lake Park, to name a pair.[9] 


Another prominent nature area within the Mt. Evans destination's border is the San Isabel National Forest [the forest that the region is named after]. San Isabel, combined with other national forests, covers almost 3 million acres that consist of prairies and mountain peaks. It is an eight-hour drive from boundary to boundary that goes through forests and grasslands. Within the San Isabel National Forest are multiple lakes and rivers, along with reservoirs. There are over 385,000 acres of wilderness with multiple trails, including the Colorado Trail, the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, and the Santa Fe National Trail. Available activities within the forest include bicycling, climbing, fishing, hiking, camping, hunting, picnicking, and paddling. Other things include water activities and winter sports.[1]


The San Isabel National Forest was first created in 1902 and was renamed the San Isabel National Forest in 1907. The northeast side of the border connects to the Pike National Forest, while the northwest side is bordered by the Continental Divide. The Wet Mountains, Sawatch Range, Spanish Peaks, Collegiate Peaks, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains provide scenery within the forest. Elevations range from a low of 5,860 feet to Mt. Elbert's 14,433 feet.[2]

The city of Denver, which is located in the San Isabel Region, has various attractions that people can enjoy, including the Foothills Explorer Tour From Denver, the BEYOND Light Show & Meditation, the Twilight Ghost Tour, Rocky Mountain Zipline Adventure, the Bicycle Tour of Downtown Denver, the Denver Ghost Tour, and the Capitol Hill History & Ghost Tour. There are many hiking options for those staying in Denver, including guided tours and hikes in the nearby national forests and desert areas. The BEYOND Light Show & Meditation is a one-hour light show that takes place in Denver. Participants are led through a guided meditation that is meant for people of all ages. After the show, guests can go to the arcade and media room. The show is available multiple hours, seven days a week, but is not open until the sun goes down. During the Twilight Ghost Tour, participants are lead through Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood and can learn about the haunted dwellings in the area. A tour will explain the haunted buildings and tell stories about strange and frightening things that have happened within the building. The tour lasts around two hours and is good for large and small groups. The Rocky Mountain Zipline Adventure takes you above scenic landscapes on over 6,000 feet of cables. Guests hike from track to track through forests, and the zipline caters toward experienced and inexperienced people alike.[3]

In 2019, Denver received 17.7 million overnight visitors who spent $7 billion. Though tourism has gone down in more recent times due to Covid-19, the money Denver gets from tourism has supported thousands of jobs around the city.[7]

Geography

The Mt. Evans Region is located in Colorado and has an overall [circular] rectangular shape. [It wraps around the Rocky Mountain National Park, Vail, the San Isabel National Forest, Byers, and Loveland.] The border of the destination lies between the Rocky Mountain National Park and Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, and continues to the east of Denver, and wrapping around the San Isabel National Forest. Cities within the area include Longmont, Boulder, Denver, Lakewood, Littleton, Aurora, Silverthrone, Frisco, and Breckenridge. The landscape consists of mountains, deserts, forests, and cities. [4]

Because of the weather, the best time to visit the destination is from the middle of May to the beginning of October. The weather in the sector fluctuates throughout the year, with the hottest time of the year being from June to September with an average high of about 75 degrees Fahrenheit and the coldest time of the year being in December with an average low of around 27 degrees. The chance of rain ranges from high to low throughout the year, with the highest chance of rain being at approximately 20% in May. Other months with a particularly high chance of rain are July, June, and April. It snows during the colder months of the year and gets an average of 4 feet of snow in October every year. The months with snow are October, November, December, January, March, April, May, and February. The most popular time to visit the region is in the summer, specifically in July.[4] 

Many animals located in the destination dwell in the national forests, including black bears, mule deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, turkeys, and mountains lions. There are also many species of birds that inhabit the area.[5] Plants that grow well in the state of Colorado and in the area are rocky mountain columbines, Russian sage, yellow alyssums, bronze fennels, zinnias, mountain mahoganies, Cheyenne privets, and Douglas firs.[6]

History

The San Isabel National Forest, which is located in the southern part of Mt. Evans Region [San Isabel Region], is situated on nearly 3 million acres of land when combined with the other nearby national forests, making it eight hours to drive from boundary to boundary. [The land the San Isabel Region is currently located on was first set aside to become a national forest in 1902.] [It was later named] The area was named the San Isabel National Forest in March of 1907. From its renaming to 1945, the forest continued to grow and expand. Several other forests and pieces of land were added to the forest, making it one of the largest in the United States. The forest is currently administered by three district offices and a supervisor's office.[2] 

Prior to the forest's establishment, the area was inhabited by American Indians, homesteading, and Spanish Land Grants. The discovery of gold and silver in the vicinity led to population growth in the area. After the population growth, the national forest was established. Today, there are almost 800 miles of hiking trails, nineteen peaks that reach over 14,000 feet, several ski areas, roads and highways, several scenic byways, campgrounds, and picnicking areas.[5] 

The city of Denver, a prominent city in the [San Isabel] Mt. Evans Region, has an explicit history. In 1858, a small group of prospectors from Georgia crossed the great plains of Colorado and made a discovery at the base of the Rocky Mountains: gold. Tepees, tents, wagons, and log cabins were situated along the banks of the South Platte River as people came on foot from all over to try to get gold. People came with their things in wheelbarrows and covered wagons, and some traveled by horseback. A 14,000-foot mountain called Piked Peak was located south of the mining camp and became a landmark and rallying cry for weary travelers. "Pikes Peak or Bust!" became a famous phrase to those traveling to the area.[8] 

Besides gold, the land was another feature that was drawing people into the area. If they got there early enough, they got a chance to get personal land. They could also layout city streets and sell the land to those who got to the area later. General William H. Larimer got land on the eastern side of Cherry Creek, laid out a city, and named it after Kansas Territorial Governor James Denver in hopes that it would give him political favor. In 1863 a large fire burned down most of Denver's business district to the ground. A year later, a flash flood swept down Cherry Creek, causing a million dollars in damage and killing 20 people. Shortly after the flood, an Indian war broke out, cutting supply lines and leaving Denver with only six weeks' worth of food. The hardships the citizens of Denver faced made the citizens work harder to not only survive but to thrive. When the Union Pacific Railroad bypassed Colorado on its transcontinental route, the people of Denver raised $300,000 and built their own railroad that met the Union Pacific in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Denver became a boomtown once again, is one of the largest cities in the area today.[8]