The land for Genesee Park was initially purchased in 1912 and the park area was largely complete by 1926. It is the largest park in the Denver Mountain Parks

Denver Mountain Parks

The Denver Mountain Parks system contains more than 14,000 acres of parklands in the mountains and foothills of Jefferson, Clear Creek, Douglas,and Grand counties in Colorado, west and south of Denver....

 system with a total of 2413 acres (976.5 ha). Interstate 70

Interstate 70

Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...

 in Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

 traverses the park between exits 252 and 254 along the Lariat Loop Scenic & Historic Byway

Lariat Loop Scenic & Historic Byway

The Lariat Loop Scenic & Historic Byway is a route in the foothills between Golden, Morrison, and Evergreen about west of Denver, Colorado. The byway includes portions of State Highway 93 between Golden and Morrison, State Highway 74 from Morrison to Evergreen via Bear Creek Canyon, and the same...

. On I-70 just west of exit 254, there are scenic overlooks for both directions for viewing the historic Bison

Bison

Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...

 herd initially established in 1914.

The park contains two mountains, Genesee Mountain at 8284 feet (2,525 m) above sea level and Bald Mountain at 7988 feet (2,434.7 m) above sea level. The park contains forests of ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and lodgepole pine

Lodgepole Pine

Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...

. The park is also home to a Bison

Bison

Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...

 herd living on the maintained pastures on the north and south sides of I-70. The herd is owned by the City and County of Denver, Colorado. Some of the original bison were acquired from Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...

 in 1914.

Chief Hosa Lodge, designed by Jacques Benedict

Jacques Benedict

Jules Jacques Benois Benedict was one of the most prominent architects in Colorado history, whose works include a number of well-known landmarks and buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Commonly known as Jacques Benedict, he was born in Chicago in 1879, and he studied...

, was built in 1918 near what is now Exit 253. It is a historical point of interest for Genesee Park and is currently used as an event facility. The nearby Chief Hosa Campground serves recreational travelers each year between May and September. A large stone picnic shelter near Genesee Mountain was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps

Civilian Conservation Corps

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...

in 1939; it is also available for group use by reservation.

External links

• Denver Mountain Parks: Genesee Park at Denvergov.org
• Genesee Park History at Denvergov.org