40th Anniversary Bus Tours Announced for September

Media Contact: Vivienne Jannatpour, Communications Specialist, 303-678-6277

Boulder County Parks & Open Space is offering three special bus tours in September. Each tour will visit various open space properties in remembrance of forty years of preserving, cultivating, and recreating on open space lands in Boulder County. Registration for each tour is $5: www.BoulderCountyOpenSpace.org/40

Wednesday, September 9, 4-8 p.m.

This tour departs from the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont.

Agricultural Heritage Center

Our first stop will be the Agricultural Heritage Center, where we'll have a guided tour, visit with the barnyard critters and learn about farming in the early 20th century.

Rabbit Mountain

At Rabbit Mountain we'll learn about colorful history from Chief Niwot to modern day water diversion from the west slope. We’ll also talk about the relationship between raptors, prairie dogs and recreational trails.

Picture Rock Trailhead

The route will then take us to the Picture Rock Trailhead at Heil Valley Ranch, where we'll learn about future plans at Hall Ranch.

Along the way our tour will highlight many county-owned farms and ranches as well as flood recovery sites.

Saturday, September 19, 2015 at 1:00 p.m.

This tour departs from the Boulder County Justice Center parking lot in Boulder.

Caribou Ranch

Boulder County's mineral belt sparked the Colorado Gold Rush in 1859. At Caribou Ranch we'll take a short hike to visit the Blue Bird mining complex, now a ghost town. We'll also see the restored DeLonde Barn and learn about the more recent history of the property, from Arabian Horse Ranch to famous recording studio.

Reynolds Ranch

Our tour will include a visit to Reynolds Ranch on Magnolia Road, with its beautiful historic cabin and ongoing forestry work.

Along the way our route will highlight other mining sites as well as flood restoration work and environmental restoration projects.

Tuesday, September 22, 3-7 p.m.

This tour departs from the Louisville Sports Complex in Louisville.

Carolyn Holmberg Preserve at Rock Creek Farm

Carolyn Holmberg Preserve at Rock Creek Farm is famous for its pumpkins, but did you know that a large prairie dog colony thrives among the fields? We'll tour the fields and talk about balancing agriculture and wildlife habitat preservation. We'll learn how Native Americans used this area long before white settlement, and why this location was so favorable for use as a stagecoach stop.

Harney-Lastoka

Nearby, the Harney-Lastoka farm showcases history of coal mining and farming. We'll learn about the current organic farm as well as the recreational trails and community garden.

Mayhoffer Singletree Trail

Our route will then take us to Old Town Superior, where we will take a short walk along the Mayhoffer Singletree Trail and learn more about coal mining history at the site of the Industrial Mine.