Community
Community Profile
Town Contact Info
Town of Winter Park
P.O. Box 3327
50 Vasquez Rd.
Winter Park, CO 80482
970-726-8081
www.winterparkgov.com
Town of Fraser
P.O. Box 370
153 Fraser Ave.
Fraser, CO 80442
970-726-5491
www.frasercolorado.com
Area Description
The Towns of Winter Park and Fraser, located in Grand County, Colorado, are situated in a high mountain park at elevations of 9,100 ft. and 8,800 ft. respectively. The valley is surrounded by the Arapaho National Forest and three Wildnerness areas: Indian Peaks, Byers Peak and Vasquez. Approximately 75% of the land in Grand County is publicly owned. 17,000 acres of public land is owned by the City of Denver Water Board. Nearby Rocky Mountain National Park sets aside 265,727 acres of natural land and wildlife habitat for the public to enjoy.
Tourism in the main source of industry in eastern Grand County (referred to as the Fraser Valley), while ranching and agriculture are the primary industry in western Grand County. The population of Grand County is approximately 12,000 in the whole county, and is dispersed through the rural areas and its six incorporated towns. Primary access to the Fraser Valley is via Highway 40 over Berthoud Pass, which reaches an elevation of 11,315 ft.
The Town of Winter Park (pop. 720) is 7.5 square miles, including the base village of Winter Park Resort. The town and ski area have long been popular with Denver Metro residents, thought the region is quickly becoming a four-season vacation destination. Fraser (pop. 920) is 6 square miles and is the more service-oriented of the two towns, with a grocery store, elementary school, library, town hall and drug store. Both towns are characteristic of seasonal resort towns. The Fraser Valley is only 90 minutes northwest of Denver, 90 minutes from Summit County and two hours from the Vail Valley.
History
The Fraser Valley is rich in heritage, ranging from the Ute Indians, logging and pioneers, to mining, ranching and the railroad. The area was inhabited by both the Ute and Arapaho Indian Tribes and was discovered by pioneers around 1820. The first settlers arrived around 1865 and the first post office was established in Fraser in 1876, which is now Cozen’s Ranch Museum.
David Moffat pioneered the building of a transcontinental railroad line from Denver to the West Coast. Tracks over the top of Rollins Pass were completed in 1905 and used steadily until 1928 when the 6.2 mile Moffat Tunnel was opened. The railroad provided the impetus for another industry in Grand County, logging. While the railroad was pushing west there was a tremendous need for timber. The logging industry flourished in the early 20th Century, helping provide valuable raw materials to Denver, a booming city on the border of the Western frontier. Although the first ski hills in Grand County were built in Hot Sulphur Springs in 1911, the railroad helped the ski industry flourish, especially Winter Park Ski Area, which opened in 1940. Today, the Ski Train still operates every weekend throughout the winter and select weekends in the summer, providing guests a historic, unique way to come enjoy the mountains.
Ski Areas/Recreation
The Fraser Valley (so named for the Fraser River) is home to two ski areas. Winter Park Resort is the largest ski area in Grand County in terms of employees, acreage and skier visits, which for 2003 were 955,615. SolVista Basin at Granby Ranch, one of the regions fastest growing areas, is closer to Granby, and offers terrain that is perfect for beginner to intermediate skiers and boarders. Berthoud Pass, one of the nations highest and oldest ski areas located on the southern boundary of the Fraser Valley, is now closed to commercial operation but still provides some of the most extreme backcountry skiing in Colorado. Because our region is driven by recreation tourism, the ski areas are among the largest employers.
Snowmobiling, snowshoeing and cross country skiing are also a strong source of income for the county in the winter. There are two commercial Nordic ski areas in the Fraser Valley. Snow Mountain Ranch/YMCA of the Rockies, has 100km of groomed trails, allows dogs on some of the trails, and has lights for night skiing. Devil’s Thumb Ranch, has 85km of groomed trails, and allows dogs on some trails.
The summer brings thousands of mountain bikers (Winter Park & The Fraser Valley is Mountain Bike Capital USA™), hikers, anglers, campers, river rafters and backpackers to enjoy our idyllic summer climate. Rocky Mountain National Park, less than an hour from the Fraser Valley, is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. In 1999, the West gate of Rocky Mountain National Park reported 499,482 visitors.
Economy & Housing
The Winter Park-Fraser Valley economy is tourism based and highly seasonal in nature. Jobs in the retail and service sector dominate the workforce. Unemployment is very low in Grand County, with a lot of people holding two jobs.
As eastern Grand County has grown, so have the demands for affordable housing. Resort areas tend to have high housing vacancy rates due to the number of second homes. In Grand County, 65% of the homes are owned by second home owners, and in Winter Park-Fraser it is 80%. In 1998 the Grand County Housing Authority was restructured to meet the demands of the need for affordable housing in Grand County. Recently, they completed Fox Run, a 64-unit affordable housing complex. Call (970) 726-4572 for more information. 52% of the county population lives in unincorporated parcels of the county.
Sales Tax
Sales tax in Winter Park is 8.9% and in Fraser it is 7.9%. 2.9% of this is Colorado state sales tax and 1% is Grand County tax.
Permits and Licenses
Business Licenses/Registration: Required by the Town of Winter Park (970) 726-8081 for $60.00/year, the Town of Fraser (970) 726-5491 for $75.00, $25.00 or $10.00 depending on business.
Building/Zoning Permits: Winter Park Town requires their own building permit (970) 726-8081. Others can be obtained at the county seat in Hot Sulphur Springs at the Grand County Courthouse (970) 725-3347.
Vehicle Registration: Grand County Courthouse (970) 725-3347.
Drivers License Bureau: Granby Town Hall (970) 887-3875. Hours are limited, so call first.
Climate & Ecology
Three ecological zones exist in the Fraser Valley: Montane, Sub-Alpine and Alpine. Their characteristics include sagebrush, willows, aspen, and lodgepole pine at lower elevations; mosses, lichens and pines above tree-line. Because of our high altitude and cold temperatures, winter tends to be long, but these characteristics give us some of the best powder skiing in the United States! We have some wonderful wildlife as neighbors, including elk, moose, deer, raccoons and porcupines. Predators, such as bears, mountain lions and coyotes, make this their home as well, and you should be prepared to know what to do should you encounter them (the US Forest Service office in Granby, 970-887-4100, has information).
Average High Temperature: 54° F/12° C
Average Low Temperature: 14° F/-10° C
Average Annual Rainfall: 27 in/69 cm
Average Annual Snowfall: 231 in/587 cm
Avernage Annual Sunny Days: 250
Education
East Grand School District No.2 - (970) 887-2400, serves Winter Park, Fraser, Granby, Grand Lake, Hot Sulphur Springs and unincorporated areas of eastern Grand County. The district includes three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. A contract has also been approved to open a charter school (Indian Peaks Charter School) in the East Grand School District by 2001.
Total Enrollment, 1999: 1,285
Student to Teacher Ratio: 1:18
Four-day school week: Monday-Thursday
Early Education: Fraser Creative Learning Center, (970) 726-5681, Winter Park Resort Early Education Center, (970) 726-5514.
After School Programs/Summer Programs: Fraser Valley Metropolitan Recreation District (970) 726-4708.
