GC1G7XP Traditional Cache Parkdale
Type: Traditional | Size: Small Small | Difficulty: 1.5 out of 5 | Terrain: 1.5 out of 5
By: Badger4007 & Weasel1998 @ | Hide Date: 09/13/2008 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N38° 29.169 W105° 22.504 | Last updated: 06/19/2022 | Fav points: 0
Recommended for kids  Takes less than an hour  Scenic view  Available at all times  Needs maintenance 

Located in Parkdale, Colorado, at the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 and Fremont County Road 3.
First known as McCandless Ford, this area enjoyed several name changes in the early days. Local pioneer and settler James L. McCandless owned a large ranch where the wagon road crossed the Arkansas River, and thus a small development at the site took his name.


Soon the name became Twelve Mile Ford because it was located twelve miles from Cañon City. Next, a bridge was constructed at the river crossing and the site became simply “Bridge.” In the 1880s, the name was changed to Parkdale because of the beautiful valley where ranchers raised livestock and Parkdale had the distinction of having the country’s smallest post office, operating with one postmaster and no carriers from a seven foot by nine foot shack.

In early 1941, a Civilian Conservation Corps camp was built here under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal Plan” that put people to work and help end the Great Depression. At the onset of Pearl Harbor and World War II, the CCC camp closed as people left for war and plans were to turn the site into a Japanese Internment Camp. That idea fell through as the Internment Camp was established at Camp Carson outside Colorado Springs.

In 1948, a feldspar plant was constructed nearby. Then, in 1970, the Parkdale Post Office closed it's doors for good. It is still standing by the rafting company on the south side of the highway. It is the pink colored building under the billboard sign. Notice the white shack east of that which has “U.S. Mail” painted on the door.

Recently, the tracks have seen action from the tourist train up the Royal Gorge and Bighorn Sheep Canyon and from loads generated by the nearby quarry.

Though never an actual established town, even with people still living in the area, Parkdale basically became a siding for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad.
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5 Logs: Found it 5  

Found it 06/26/2019 By Vinyl_Scratch_OP
Thanks for the sweet treat

Found it 06/26/2019 By canonhunt
Easy find left a good tasty treat for he next.

Found it 06/10/2019 By Jonas and Julia
We stopped by to look for this cache while road tripping from Chaska, Minnesota. Jonas scored the find quickly, and we were soon again on our way toward the Sangre de Cristos. Thanks!

Found it 05/24/2019 By <>
Now that a fence is blocking access to the main structure, the cache is nicely hidden about 30 feet south. < > is glad to log another smiley, tfth.

Found it 05/18/2019 By guido49
Found it. All is well. Great scenery here. TFTC