You are parked along the old Colorado Midland Railroad (CMRR), now Highway 24. The rail bed lies beneath much of Highway 24, and traces of the rail grade can be seen along to the north and south sides of Highway 24. CMRR used images of Ute Indians for its advertising.
The Colorado Midland ceased operations during WWI. It had the government contract for hauling troops and supplies through the Rockies, however it was too unreliable with numerous wrecks and derailments due to the steep grades. The government ordered it to cease operations due to the scarcity of fuel, and the ensuing bankruptcy court ordered the tracks torn up and sold to pay creditors.
The Colorado Midland RR began running from Colorado Springs, through Florissant, and to the west slope in 1887. Day-trippers from Colorado Springs were allowed to dig for fossils in the hillside opposite the Florissant kiosk (Just a few hundred feet to the west. The kiosk was built by the Pikes Peak Historical Society, and tells the story of the Ute Indians.) The needs of these early tourists gave birth to the resort towns of Cascade, Chipeta Park, and Green Mountain Falls, Woodland Park and created a boom in Florissant.
On the hillside north of you, above the stream, traces of the Ute War Trail can still be seen. War Trails were narrow, just wide enough for one horseman, and covered rough terrain. They sought the shortest, fastest route to battle sites. Lodge Pole Trails, on the other hand, were wide enough for a horse pulling a travois, and were used when the villages were changing location. West of the kiosk is a rocky hilltop that holds the remains of a Ute stone fort. Ute scouts were posted here to prevent enemies from encroaching on their territory. This is called Fortification Hill, and on its eastern base the open meadow is a Ute battlefield. Famous mountain man Kit Carson witnessed a battle between the Ute Indians and the Comanche at this site in 1852.
