MOUNTAIN HERITAGE PARK
A Chipeta Mountain Project Initiative
Salida, Colorado

OCTOBER 2022 UPDATE: Mountain Heritage Park is now complete and we have scheduled our Ribbon Cutting / Grand Opening Celebration to be held on Indigenous Peoples Day, Monday, October 10th from 4:00-6:00pm. Spread the word and plan to attend! SEE MORE INFORMATION BELOW

April 2022 UPDATE

Exciting News!  After an extended delay due to the impact of the Pandemic, we finally see Mountain Heritage Park becoming a reality!

If you’ve recently been near the site of Mountain Heritage Park (MHP) on ‘S’ Mountain, you’ve seen quite a lot of activity!  Mountain Heritage Park is well under construction and is nearing completion!  

All site excavation and final grading has been completed; the pavilions are nearing completion; parking lot fence nearing completion; portalet site work finished; parking lot expanded and leveled; portalet screens forthcoming. 
 
Mountain Heritage Park will be a destination for people of all ages, providing three distinct informational kiosks, a native flora garden, as well as a geographical and geological kiosk. You may read more specifics about the park below.

There will be upcoming volunteer opportunities, early this summer, as we prepare to plant the native flora garden. We will reach out to the community to let you know how you can participate.

You can be sure there will be a fabulous dedication of this park once it is completed in the very near future!

Chipeta Mountain Project is an all-volunteer community group. We are not a 501c3 non-profit organization, so unfortunately we cannot offer you a tax deduction.  All financial donations will be used exclusively for project expenses. Donation checks may be made out to:
Chipeta Mountain Project and mailed to:
 
Chipeta Mountain Project 
407 E. 3rd Street
Salida, CO 81201

Any questions, feel free to reach out to us through this website or message us on Facebook. You may contact Craig Nielson directly at chipetarising@gmail.com.
 
Thank you to all our partners, sponsors and donors who have made this possible. We will all benefit from the completed Mountain Heritage Park for years to come!

With Gratitude,
Chipeta Mountain Project

ABOUT THE PARK

Mountain Heritage Park (MHP) will highlight and celebrate the rich cultural and natural history of Salida's mountain heritage and become a gathering place of rest, reflection, and connection, with commanding views of two distinct mountain ranges that have shaped the history and culture of Salida and south-central Colorado for generations. 

MHP is an initiative of The Chipeta Mountain Project (CMP), in partnership with The City of Salida.  CMP is a local all volunteer non-profit group which organized and hosted the Chipeta Rising Celebration in October, 2017.  The MHP project has the support of many key community stake-holders, the public, and The Salida City Council.   

Location: The City of Salida owned crescent shaped flat just below the parking area/kiosk/gate on Tenderfoot Mountain, in Salida, Colorado.

Description: A low maintenance interpretive mountain pocket park celebrating the rich history and culture of our mountain heritage and featuring three significant mountain vistas:  1.) The southern end of the Sawatch Range including the 14ers: Mount Antero, Mount Shavano, Tabeguache Peak, and 13ers: Taylor Mountain, Jones Peak and Mount White.  2.) Ute Heritage: Centennial Thirteener Mount Ouray, the newly re-named Chipeta Mountain, and Pahlone Peak.  3.) The geographic northern end of the rugged and dramatic Sangre De Cristo Range including the hometown landmark, Methodist Mountain.

Park Features: The park will feature a central kiosk with 3 interpretive "peak view pavilions" with information panels describing the above mountains, their human and natural history and modern recreation context including mountaineering/peak bagging, skiing, hiking, hunting, rafting/boating, and off-road use as it relates to our "mountain heritage" and modern culture. With vehicle and human powered access, MHP will be enjoyed by folks of all abilities and will be seen by thousands of locals and visitors throughout the seasons. The pavilions will feature metal rectangular frames that will "frame" the individual mountain views and provide a vista out and up, while blocking the other mountain views to capture the viewer's attention. Over-head metal/wood structures on top of this frame will provide shade for more pleasant viewing and to reduce glare. View benches where visitors can take in the individual mountain panoramas will also be installed.

Architecture:  Low maintenance rustic modern structures with historic overtones made from locally fabricated rusting metal, site sourced stone and locally milled rough-cut  lumber.  Future installations may include a picnic pavilion/shade structure.

Landscaping:  Landscaping will be existing preserved native flora and site specific Colorado/Salida natives, site sourced stone, and locally sourced hardscape pathways.  A native xeric flora garden that highlights the flora found in the featured mountain ranges will be one of the design elements at full build out.

Local and Regional Partners and Supporters:

City of Salida, site owner and project development partner
High County Bank, premier corporate sponsor
Green Edge Design, no fee in-kind project architect
Partnership for Community Action, business support and fund raising
Salida Mountain Trails (SMT), stakeholder and project supporter
Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA), stakeholder and project supporter
Chaffee County Heritage Area Advisory Board, stakeholder and project supporter
Guidestone Colorado, stakeholder, history collaborator, and project supporter
Hutchinson Ranch, history collaborator, project supporter
Sunrise Rotary, stakeholder and project supporter
The Rotary Club of Salida, stakeholder, project supporter and possible local funder
Colorado Mountain Club, program and project supporter
Roland McCook, Ute Tribal member, CMP partner and Ute Peak Pavilion stakeholder
Native American Cultural Programs, project supporter

  Project Contact:  Craig Nielson, Guide, Chipeta Mountain Project:
719.221.2200
chipetarising@gmail.com
chipetamountain.com

Our Mission Statement: 

Chipeta Mountain Project (CMP) is an all-volunteer local non-profit group dedicated to preserving the cultural history of the lower Arkansas Valley through education, advocacy, special events and interpretive sites. CMP accomplishes this mission by:

• Working with members of the Ute Tribes to help preserve Ute history in the valley

• Advocating for reconciliation efforts that welcome Ute tribal members back to the valley they used to inhabit

• Planning, designing, developing and advocating for interpretive sites that reflect the cultural history of the valley

• Educating children and adults about pre-mining history in the valley

Media

Mountain Mail Articles
1/1/19: pg. 3
4/30/19: pg. 3 
4/26/19: Photo of Licia & Craig after site walk on 4/26

Colorado Central Magazine Articles
April 2019: pg. 19
June 2019:  pg. 19

 Discovery Magazine Article 2019: pg. 95,  Article by Arlene Shovald

 4/26/19: KHEN Radio interview with Roland McCook; Dominique from GARNA and Craig with CMP

Our Mission Statement: 

Chipeta Mountain Project (CMP) is an all-volunteer local non-profit group dedicated to preserving the cultural history of the lower Arkansas Valley through education, advocacy, special events and interpretive sites. CMP accomplishes this mission by:

• Working with members of the Ute Tribes to help preserve Ute history in the valley

• Advocating for reconciliation efforts that welcome Ute tribal members back to the valley they used to inhabit

• Planning, designing, developing and advocating for interpretive sites that reflect the cultural history of the valley

• Educating children and adults about pre-mining history in the valley

Timeline of Key Project Planning Events

June 2017:             
park inception and initial design concept, Craig Nielson

October 2017:      
Chipeta Mountain Dedication Ceremony held on the MHP site and led by Roland McCook, Chipeta's great, great grandson

June 2018:            
presentation to Salida Parks and Recreation Advisory Board

December 2018:  
presentation to City Council and Mayor

January 2019:       
presentation to Chaffee County Heritage Area Advisory Board; presentation to GARNA, initial non-profit sponsorship meeting; initial meeting with City of Salida Parks and Public Works Director;presentation at Salida Soup

February 2019:     
first meeting with High County Bank; planning meeting with GARNA; presentation to Sunrise Rotary Club; second meeting with City of Salida Public Works Director; presentation at Salida Soup

March 2019:         
presentation to The Rotary Club of Salida; third planning meeting with City of Salida Public Works staff

April 2019:            
second third planning meetings with GARNA; presentation to Salida Mountain Trails; meeting with Guidestone Colorado and Hutchinson Ranch; lunch with HCB, Roland McCook and CMP team

May, 2019:           
presentation Salida Soup at Craft For A Cause; non-profit sponsor approval meeting with GARNA

Summer 2019:       
sketch design updates and alternatives; awarded Monarch Community Outreach Grant; grant writing; pricing and sourcing of local metal fabricator

October 2019:       
City Council budget and resolution approval, GOCO grant submitted

February 2020:
GOCO grant approval