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Sprague Lake (Colorado)

Colorado geography stubsLakes of Larimer County, ColoradoLakes of Rocky Mountain National Park
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Sprague Lake is a scenic lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, located on the south side of Glacier Creek, about two miles south of the Hollowell turnoff. The half-mile walk around the lake is wheelchair accessible and features boardwalks and bridges with views of Flattop Mountain and Hallet Peak. The lake is popular for Brook trout fishing.The area is named after Abner Sprague, who started a homestead there in 1874. Later, he opened a lodge for dude ranching, hunting, and fishing. To improve the fishing, he dammed the far end of the lake. The area became part of Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915 and continued to serve guests as the Sprague Hotel. In 1919, guests paid $6.00 per room with a private bath, and $1.00 for regular meals. The hotel, which no longer exists, stood near the present-day parking lot.

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Sprague Lake (Colorado)
Sprague Lake Trail,

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N 40.32 ° E -105.60472222222 °
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Sprague Lake Trail

Sprague Lake Trail
80511
Colorado, United States
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Fern Lake Trail
Fern Lake Trail

The Fern Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, runs 4.8 miles (7.7 km) from Moraine Park in the eastern part of the park westward to Fern Lake, the first portion of the trail following the course of the Big Thompson River. The trail was first informally established in the late 1880s as a way to get to "The Pool," a wide spot in the Big Thompson where a small lodge predated the 1915 establishment of the park. The trail was improved by the Estes Park Protective and Improvement Association between 1907 and 1912, with a new bridge at The Pool. Two years later the trail was rebuilt to maintain no more than a 10% grade and to provide better access to Fern and Marguerite Falls. In the 1920s Fern Lake became a popular winter destination for skiing, complete with a lodge. From 1933 the trail was rebuilt over three years with Civilian Conservation Corps labor, building retaining walls and adjusting the trail's alignment.The Forest Inn at The Pool closed in 1951, and Fern Lake Lodge closed in 1960. Folksinger Judy Collins and her then-husband Peter Taylor ran the lodge in the summer of 1958, welcoming hikers a respite from the trail. It was demolished by the Park Service in 1968 as they eliminated concessions within the park. The trail is notable for its association with early tourism development in the park and for its Civilian Conservation Corps-executed construction. The Fern Lake Trail was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 28, 2005.

Moraine Park Museum and Amphitheater
Moraine Park Museum and Amphitheater

The Moraine Park Museum and Amphitheater, also known as the Moraine Park Lodge and the Moraine Park Visitor Center, are located in Moraine Park, a glaciated meadow between two moraines in Rocky Mountain National Park.The two structures were built to serve visitors to the park, and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum was built in 1923 by Imogene Green MacPherson as the center of her private tourist development, and was then known as the Moraine Park Lodge. The National Park Service purchased the property in 1931 and demolished the surrounding cabins in following years. The amphitheater was designed and built in 1935, with the design by the NPS Branch of Plans and Designs and the construction by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The lodge was reworked in 1934-35. Both structures adhere to the National Park Service Rustic design ethic of the time, with stone and log construction.Imogene Green MacPherson first homesteaded the site in Moraine Park in 1903, naming the land "Hillcrest". In 1905, newly married, she expanded with a lodge, dining hall, stable and some cabins for guests. Paying guest began to arrive in 1910. Mrs. MacPherson continued to operate the resort after the death of her husband in 1919, and was involved in the campaign for the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park. After her death in 1928, her family continued to run the lodge until its purchase by the Park Service.The amphitheater is built about one hundred feet from the lodge, with seating interspersed with trees. A projection booth and screen once existed, but were removed. An elaborate arrangement of stone gutters and culverts provides drainage. The Moraine Park Lodge adjoins the William Allen White Cabins historic district. The museum features interactive natural history exhibits, with themes including geologic processes, glaciation, weather and climate, ecosystems, and human impact. The park offers environmental education programs based on similar themes. The lodge building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 8, 1976. The listing was expanded to include the amphitheater on June 15, 2005.