Magnolia Mill

Alma, Colorado

Reading Time: 2 min 09 sec

The headwaters of the Middle Fork South Platte creates a sprawling marsh above Magnolia Mill. (iPhone 7 Plus)

Middle Fork South Platte. (iPhone 7 Plus)

It all starts with a trickle of snowmelt, then a rush down the mountainside. Crystal clear and cold, the meandering Middle Fork South Platte River provides Colorado with the lush grassland basins of Park County.

The fertile lowlands were hunting grounds for the Ute and Arapaho, followed by trappers, settlers, and mountain men for hire exploring future expansion routes west in the unquenchable thirst for mineral wealth. Before the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859, this area was far from quiet, but after discovering gold in the loose alluvial sediment, it boomed.

You can no longer see it, but it was here. The mill town of Montgomery, now a watery ghost town under the 1954 Montgomery Reservoir, exploded with a population nearing 1000, supporting a theater, hotels, saloons, and 100s of cabins. The trickle, now a reservoir, erases the town built by riches that washed away the Arapaho, who called the South Platte Niinéniiniicíihéhe. Again, 100 miles downstream, the river returns with a rush as drinking water for Colorado Springs, the state's second-largest city of almost 500,000.

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TRIP BRIEF

Date: 070420

Park County. Alma, Colorado.
Magnolia Mill. 39.357703, -106.083661

Take the dirt road that wraps up and around Montgomery Reservoir. Park at the Wheeler Mountain trailhead if you plan on hiking the route. The 4x4 trail begins just past the mill, where you'll also start your hike.
High clearance vehicles required. Stock SUVs or trucks will quickly run into obstacles. Watch your oil pan, folks.
You'll find spectacular views of North Star Mountain, Wheeler Mountain, and Mt. Lincoln's west face from the marshy valley floor.
The high elevation, rocky 4x4 trail to Wheeler Lake has very little to no cover. Snowpack sticks around until mid-June.
Pack a hat, layers and a jacket. Carry plenty of water or filter.

Magnolia Mill. Alma, Colorado. (iPhone 7 Plus)

A plaque bolted to the remains of the Magnolia Mill shares the story. The original 1800s mill burned down and was rebuilt in the 1930s. The structure is in good shape for the countryside it somehow has teetered on and clung to for near 90 years. By 1861, the first miners set up shop, becoming the highest elevation mines in North America. The rugged landscape surrounding the Magnolia gives way to spectacular views at 11,000 feet; at timberline, a variety of harsh weather is constant.

This trip is far from a backcountry experience, but it's quiet, and you are mostly alone. Keep on climbing and bring binoculars to take a closer look at the mine ruins high on the ridge. Look for mine tailings, commonly lighter in color from the surrounding surface rock. The mill processed ore shuttled from 100s of feet above by way of a tram system. I have found no photographs of this feature but would love to follow up with this post if anyone finds one. Please reach out!

Though a large portion of the 4x4 trail is easily passable, there are multiple obstacles that will limit stock vehicle travel. (iPhone 7 Plus)

A perfect valley and a perfect July storm. (iPhone 7 plus)

Same valley, same perfect July storm. (iPhone 7 Plus)

This July 4, I planned to hike the 6 miles, out and back to Wheeler Lake late in the afternoon rain but was turned around by sleet, maybe some snow and harder rain. The pleasant after lunch hike in the cool Colorado rain quickly shifted to sideways rain and dropping temperatures. Though prepared, the weather accounts for no photos of the lake because I turned around. Who enjoys two numb thumbs and cold hands in July?

Not this guy.