In the early 1900s, portions of the ranch were sold and, in the 1930s, the Newton family, whose family included a Denver mayor, donated the current parcel to a Denver area community center to be used as a children’s mountain camp.  Not long afterwards, U.S. Highway 285 was cut through the outer ranch boundaries to accommodate the increasing auto travel.  The ranch house, which had since been used as a hotel, was razed to make room for the highway.  Today, the iconic red barn which once stood near the ranch house can been seen just on  the edge of the highway at the intersection of Foxton Road.  The youth camp changed ownership several times between the 1930s and 1990s, always accommodating youth camps.  By the late 1990s, camp authorities had offered the park land for sale, and a residential development was contempated.  Community residents rallied to preserve the site from residential or commerical development.  In 2001 Jefferson County Open Space purchased the property on behalf of the community.  They initiated a special management agreement with a local, volunteer Board of Directors to manage and maintain the park.  Today, the Board of Directors continues to operate the park as a public, 501 (c)3 non-for-profit organization and oversee the activities of employees and volunteer personnel.  Together, these dedicated board members and personnel advance the organization’s mission and ensure the park’s lasting legacy of natural beauty for local residents, visitors and future generations. The park does not receive any tax monies and is supported solely by its activities, rentals, and supporters.  We thank you if you are one of them!