SOUTH FORK — Though South Fork is one of the newest communities in the San Luis Valley having been established in the early 1880s along with the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, it has a long history that enriched the Valley for just shy of 100 years providing lumber to build homes, the railroad, mining structures and more.
As a way of remembering their past, South Fork has held one of the area’s most favorite events — Logger Days — for the past 29 years, bringing history and the logging industry into the spotlight. This year’s event is sure to bring in the crowds and is a great way to celebrate mid-summer in the San Juan Mountains. The weekend will feature professional logging events, vendors, ax throwing clinics and more.
South Fork was incorporated in 1992 yet was established as a stage stop along the rigorous trail leading north to Creede in 1880. It began as a place for travelers to rest along their journey, catch a bite to eat and continue on their way.
After the railroad came to South Fork in 1882, a new type of industry bloomed out of the forests surrounding the one-stop town. Lumber from the area became a staple for the community of settlers that had gathered there. In what seemed to some like an overnight industry, timber and sawmills took over much of the area.
The mills produced lumber for railways and mining communities nationwide. Due to the timber industry and Creede's silver boom, the area became a destination place for rich people seeking a Colorado experience. People came from all around to hunt, fish and stay in the wilderness.
South Fork has come a long way through the past and into the present. The lumber boom is over, and it has left a mountain destination with a wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities in its place. In the years since the lumber boom, South Fork has come to enjoy the rich history in the area and celebrate in unique and original ways.
The 29th annual Logger Days event kicks off on July 14 with a tomahawk throwing clinic for both youth and adults sponsored by the South Fork Friends Foundation. The clinic will start at 10 a.m. in the parking lot outside of the pickleball courts and South Fork Community Center. All are invited and come try their hand at throwing.
Afterward the day begins with Collegiate Logging Event, craft and food vendors as well as a performance by Hip Hop is Dead at 3 p.m. The South Fork Community Center is always packed full of vendors selling homemade wares, auction items for local organization fundraisers and more.
Be sure to come back both Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16 for two full days of logging events and competitions. For more information or a full list of events, visit www.southfork.org.
