Middle Park (Colorado basin) facts for kids
Middle Park is a large, bowl-shaped valley high up in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado, United States. It sits about 8,000 feet (2,438 meters) above sea level. This beautiful area is found in Grand County, on the southwest side of Rocky Mountain National Park. It's about 50 miles (80 km) west of Boulder, on the other side of the continental divide (which is like a big line that separates where rivers flow).
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What is Middle Park?
Middle Park is a wide valley that surrounds the beginning of the Colorado River. This river starts on the western side of the Front Range, which is a major mountain range in Colorado. The valley stretches southwest from Grand Lake, where the Colorado River begins. It then follows the river past several towns like Granby (the biggest town), Hot Sulphur Springs, Parshall, and Kremmling.
The valley ends roughly where the Colorado River enters Gore Canyon, which is a narrow, deep gorge. Middle Park also includes the lower parts of smaller river valleys that flow into the Colorado River. These include the Fraser River, Williams Fork, and Willow Creek. The towns of Fraser and Winter Park are located in the Fraser River valley. Sometimes, the lower part of the Blue River valley, after the Dillon Reservoir, is also considered part of Middle Park.
Why is it Called Middle Park?
Middle Park gets its name because it's the middle and smallest of three large mountain valleys in Colorado. These valleys are often called "parks." All three are located on the western side of the Front Range mountains. The other two large valleys are North Park and South Park.
U.S. Highway 34 goes through Middle Park from the northeast to the southwest. It connects with U.S. Highway 40 in Granby.
Mountains and Passes
High mountains surround Middle Park on its north, east, and south sides. These mountains form the continental divide, which means they separate the rivers that flow to the Pacific Ocean from those that flow to the Atlantic Ocean. Because of this, Middle Park forms a small "pocket" that drains into the Pacific Ocean.
- North Park: To the north, North Park is drained by the North Platte River. It's separated from Middle Park by two relatively low mountain passes: Muddy Pass and Willow Creek Pass.
- Eastern and Southern Passes: The passes to the east (Milner Pass) and south (Berthoud Pass) connect Middle Park to the area where the South Platte River begins. These passes are part of the main Front Range, so they are higher and often covered in snow.
- Milner Pass: This pass is near the highest point on Trail Ridge Road (U.S. Highway 34) in Rocky Mountain National Park. It's only open during the summer months. This allows people to drive between Estes Park and Grand Lake during warmer times of the year.
- Berthoud Pass: Located at the start of the Fraser River, south of Winter Park, Berthoud Pass connects Middle Park to Interstate 70 in Clear Creek Canyon via U.S. Highway 40. This is the most direct way to get from Middle Park to Denver.
Life and Economy in Middle Park
Middle Park has several reservoirs (man-made lakes) on the Colorado River and its smaller rivers. One of the largest is Lake Granby, which covers a big part of the northeastern valley.
Unlike North Park and South Park, which are wide and flat, Middle Park is a narrower valley. This means there's less land for farming or raising animals. The main industry in Middle Park is tourism. Many people visit for alpine skiing at the Winter Park Ski Resort. A lot of travelers going between Denver and the popular resort town of Steamboat Springs also pass through Middle Park. This helps other tourism businesses in the smaller towns.
Because Middle Park doesn't need as much water for farming, a lot of the water from the upper Colorado River basin is sent eastward across the continental divide to the Colorado Front Range. This is done as part of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, which helps supply water to cities and farms on the eastern side of the mountains.
