Interlaken Historic Resort

Interlaken Hotel and Annex Area closure

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This order affects the Leadville Ranger District. The purpose of this Order is to protect public safety in an area with known hazards due to tree fall, damaged buildings, potential tree fall.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service

Pike-San Isabel National Forests &

Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands

Leadville Ranger District

Special Closure for the Interlaken Hotel and Annex Area

PROHIBITIONS

Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(a), the following is prohibited on the National Forest System (NFS) lands on the Leadville Ranger District, Pike-San Isabel National Forest & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands, described below and shown on the attached map incorporated into this Order as Exhibit A (the “Described Area”):

Going into or being in the Described Area which is closed for the protection of public health and safety. 36 C.F.R. § 261.53(e)

EXEMPTIONS

Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:

Forest Service staff in performance of their official duties.
Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them from this Order or a written determination by a Forest Service authorized officer that a permit is not required under 36 C.F.R. § 251.50(e)(1) or (2).
Any Federal, State, or Local Officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.

DESCRIBED AREA

The Described Area on the attached map includes National Forest System (NFS) lands in the Interlaken Historic District in Lake County, Colorado, and covers a 200-foot buffer around the Interlaken Hotel and the Interlaken Hotel Annex. The legal location is Township 11 S Range 80 W Sections 20 and 21. The Interlaken Hotel and Interlaken Hotel Annex are located on the southwest shore of the lower Twin Lake and are the two westernmost buildings at the historic site. The Interlaken Historic District is located approximately 2.4 miles west of the Interlaken Trailhead. The Interlaken Hotel is located at 39°04'37"N 106°20'55"W, and the Interlaken Hotel Annex is located at 39°04'36"N 106°20'54"W.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Order is to protect public safety in an area with known hazards due to tree fall, damaged buildings, potential tree fall.

IMPLEMENTATION

This Order shall be in effect from June 22nd, 2026, at 12:01 AM through, June 21st, 2028, at 11:59 PM, unless rescinded.
A map identifying the Described Area, Roads, and Trails is attached and made part of this Order as Exhibit A. For a digital version of this Order and Exhibit A, go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/alerts.
Unless otherwise expressly defined in this Order, the terms used in this Order are defined by the regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture, 36 C.F.R. Chapter II, Parts 200-299. If there are terms in this Order that are not expressly defined in the Order or 36 C.F.R. Chapter II, Parts 200-299, their meaning shall be determined by their plain language definitions.
A violation of the above prohibitions is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 U.S.C. § 551; 18 U.S.C. §§ 3559, 3571, and 3581.
Contact the Leadville Ranger District in Leadville, CO, (719) 486-0749, and Pike-San Isabel National Forest & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Supervisor’s Office in Pueblo, CO (719) 553-1400, for more information about this Order.
This Order supersedes any previous Orders prohibiting the same or similar acts in the same Described Area.

Signed and issued on June 17, 2026.

/s/

Ryan Nehl

Forest and Grassland Supervisor

Pike-San Isabel National Forests &

Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands

This historic resort is located along the southern shore of Twin Lakes. Built by John A. Staley, as the Lakeside Resort in the 1870s, this was a popular mountain hotel, ringing with laughter and music. Lush bluegrass lawns beneath towering pine and spruce, sparkling water fountains, gardens of native and cultivated flowers blooming throughout the summer enhanced the picturesque setting. In 1883, millionaire James V. Dexter, expanded Lakeside into a world-class resort, re-named the hotel Interlaken, and added 2,000 acres.

Relative luxury in a rustic mountain setting provided escape for the wealthy. Guests first journeyed by train to Granite (five miles east of Twin Lakes) where they boarded a side-seated platform wagon to the resort. A boardwalk led them from the stage stop to the hotel porch.

Culture was not forgotten at this rustic resort. Every week during the summer an orchestra came from Leadville to play in the pavilion, where oil paintings of the Civil War covered the walls. Billiard tables, inlaid with rare woods and ivory, provided another luxury. Guests could also spend their days playing cards, picnicking, horseback riding or hiking. Activites such as skating, skiing, and sleigh riding continued through the winter. Sleds driven by teams of horses brought visitors from Leadville across the frozen lake.

This area does not allow camping. Please see the Leadville Ranger District Campgrounds for a list of suitable campground choices.