
North Park

by Jon Burch Photography
Title
North Park
Artist
Jon Burch Photography
Medium
Photograph - Digital Capture
Description
North Park is a high, sparsely populated basin approximately 8800 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado. It encompasses a wide valley in Jackson County rimmed by mountain ranges at the headwaters of the North Platte River and several smaller tributaries, including the Michigan River, Illinois River, and Canadian River. The valley receives its name from being the northernmost of the three large mountain valleys in Colorado on the western side of the Front Range. The other two are Middle Park and South Park respectively.
The basin opens out northward into Wyoming, in the direction of flow of the North Platte River. On the east side, the park is rimmed by the Medicine Bow Mountains, the Never Summer Mountains and Rabbit Ears Range to the south, and the Park Range to the west. The continental divide rims the Park along the south and west. The primary economic activities in the valley are cattle ranching and timber harvesting, although the latter has declined substantially in recent decades. The largest community in the valley is Walden, the Jackson County seat, which sits near the middle of the valley near the confluence of the Michigan and Illinois rivers. Smaller communities in the valley include the unincorporated hamlets of Gould and Rand.
The valley is crossed east-west by State Highway 14, which enters from the east over Cameron Pass, providing a link to the Poudre Canyon and Fort Collins. Highway 14 enters from the west over Muddy Pass which provides access to Steamboat Springs, and to Middle Park in the valley of the Colorado River. It is crossed north-south by State Highway 125, which enters from the north Wyoming to the north along the course of the North Platte. The valley enters from the south over Willow Creek Pass, providing access to the upper end of Middle Park near Granby. The valley along the Illinois River is the location of the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge.
Image copyright 2015 Jon Burch Photography
Uploaded
March 17th, 2015
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