Fairplay Between History and Fishing

Fairplay offers several ways to shape a stay: mining history, historic buildings, a public fishing area, and Burro Days. If you’re looking for hotels in Fairplay, distinguishing among these themes can help with your planning. First decide whether you’re more interested in history and architecture, or whether fishing or an event is the main reason for your visit. The local landmarks offer concrete starting points.

History from Different Perspectives

South Park City Museum is a preserved open-air museum dating from the mid-20th century. It interprets a mining pioneer community, putting the community itself at the center of its historical focus. This differs from looking at individual buildings, where construction date, building material, or architectural style provides the point of reference.

Park County Courthouse was built in 1874 from locally sourced red sandstone in the Italianate style. Its construction date, local material, and style together provide a specific picture of the building. Fairplay School, now Edith Teter Elementary, is among the oldest surviving schools in Colorado. Here, the historical connection lies less in a single construction date than in its place among Colorado’s oldest surviving schools.

Fairplay Hotel was built in 1923 after a fire in 1921 destroyed the 1873 hotel building at this location. Sheldon Jackson Memorial Chapel was built during Fairplay’s reconstruction in the year following the fire. The two building histories mark different moments: the destruction of the earlier hotel building and later construction projects undertaken as part of the rebuilding.

Fairplay’s landscape is also part of its historical context. Fairplay’s historic camp was located in a scenic spot near the confluence of Beaver Creek and the South Platte River. Unlike the courthouse, school, and hotel, the key connection here is the landscape setting.

Fishing, Camping, and Burro Days

The stretch of river above and below Fairplay Beach Recreation Area is a very popular public fishing area. The location thus includes stretches on both sides of the recreation area. Fishing is therefore a distinct focus alongside the town’s cultural and historical themes.

For campsites at Fairplay Beach Recreation Area, the policy is first come, first served, with no reservations; the fee is paid at the beach. Since local regulations may change, check the policy before you arrive.

Burro Days began in 1949 as a race in which participants ran from Leadville to Fairplay alongside a burro. Burro Days includes burro races; the event’s historical beginnings and its program are two distinct aspects.

You can tailor your search for hotels in Fairplay to what matters for your stay: the history of the mining pioneer community, the town’s building history, the fishing area, or Burro Days. Each theme offers a different point of reference for planning your trip, without requiring them to be combined into a single sightseeing itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Jefferson

For the broader travel guide: Park County.