Long before history books defined the land we call Colorado, nomadic people now known as Ute, Shoshoni, Cheyenne and Arapaho lived in the West. They had no permanent settlements since their survival depended on hunting and gathering. Their culture was influenced by the buffalo, specifically the American bison. These people, accepted as aboriginal North Americans, lived between Alaska and Mexico. Among them, the Northern Utes hunted the valleys and plateaus of Western Colorado. Although the earliest people did not have a written language, their rock art revealed hunting and survival skills. Evidence of hunting walls, teepee rings and stone tools have been found throughout Western Colorado.
One of the early settlers, James Watson, created the Rifle Falls Ranch in 1884, charging admission for viewing the waterfalls and caves. In 1890 Allen Zerber developed a resort at Rifle Falls. Eventually a hotel opened for business in 1904 on East Rifle Creek. The area became known for more than its natural wonders. In 1910, local residents built the Rifle Hydroelectric Plant, which was one of the first in Colorado.
Today Rifle Falls State Park continues to change the landscape and intrigue visitors with its triple waterfalls and slice of a tropical paradise.
journeyswithjosie 