The Last Campfire on the Frontier: Daniels Park, Denver

Daniels Park is a 1000 acre mountain park near Denver that provides a unique and intriguing insight into American history, and particularly the local history of the Denver area. It contains not only a Native American memorial and a historic ranch, but also a herd of living bison. Walking through the park is almost like stepping back into the time before Denver had grown into a major city.

A large section of the park is maintained in its natural state, offering visitors the chance to wander through the high plains habitat, complete with Bison. The 800 acre Bison preserve is one of the most unique and important features of the park. The herd was first introduced to the park in 1939 and is now a self-sustaining, breeding herd. The Plains habitat in Daniels Park is an interesting addition to the Denver mountain parks system, which mostly occupies higher ground. It offers nature lovers a chance to explore a very different habitat and look for species that are not found in the other mountain parks.

In addition to the natural beauty of the area and the Bison preserve, Daniels Park has much of historic value to offer. The old ranch house and outbuildings from the 1920s are still standing, and provide an insight into the days when this was a working ranch. Daniels Park Road, which was in existence before 1864 as an early territorial road. There is also a historic stone shelter built in 1922 to the designs of J.J.B. Benedict. The park also contains a Native American site, the Tall Bull Memorial Grounds.

Daniels Park was one of the first areas around Denver to be settled. In 1859, the wealth of timber in the vicinity caused a man called Major Oakes to set up a sawmill at Riley's Gulch, near the Pretty Woman Ranch. This ranch was a stage stop on the First Territorial Road, which linked Denver with Colorado Springs. According to local legend, Riley Hill was a favorite spot for outlaws, who would watch for the stagecoach from this spot.

It was on Riley Hill that the scout Kit Carson died as he traveled home to New Mexico. He built what he called his "last campfire" on the hill when he stopped there to eat a midday meal with Major Oakes, who was his friend and traveling companion. Carson's words proved to be true. He died several days later, before he was able to reach home. A monument was erected on Riley Hill in 1923 in remembrance of Carson's last campfire and the end of the frontier that was slowly dying as the period of westward expansion came to an end.

The Daniels Park area was a popular attraction for locals and visitors even before it officially became a park. During the 1920s, many people came to Daniels Park to admire the stunning views of the Rockies, although they knew the area as Wildcat Point or Auto View. The land was donated to the city by Florence Martin and named after her friends, Major William Cook Daniels and Mrs. Daniels. The first section of 40 acres was donated in 1920, with the remainder being donated in 1937.

Daniels Park today is very popular with locals living in the nearby area, including the city of Denver, but it is also a major attraction for visitors from across the Colorado region. Visitors can follow a number of trails around the park, but there are also plenty of areas where they can sit down and enjoy the spectacular views. Among these are some amazing views of the front range of the Rocky Mountains. There are a number of picnic areas, some of which have charcoal burning grills as well as a comfortable shelter house.