THE HISTORY
Steeped in South Park Heritage
Long before the modern highway brought travelers through Hartsel, the high-altitude basin known as South Park was called Bayou Salado by early French trappers, a name honoring the salt marshes and rich wildlife of this rugged valley.
It is this spirit of old-world exploration and high-country grit that inspired Lark and Dave Harvey to establish the Bayou Salado Trading Post.
Built on Historic Ground
The very walls of the Bayou Salado Trading Post are steeped in the pioneer history of South Park. The shop building originally served as a functional piece of the historic, three-story Hartsel Hotel complex, which was established in the late 1800s by the town's legendary founder, Samuel Hartsel. In its prime, the hotel was a bustling, celebrated haven where horse-drawn carriages ferried travelers from the Colorado Midland Railroad straight to the famous local commercial hot springs. While a devastating fire claimed the main hotel structure in 1972, this surviving piece of the historic property was preserved. By restoring and breathing new life into this space, we have kept the original spirit of the old Western outpost alive. Today, instead of weary railroad passengers, the building welcomes a new generation of explorers looking to unearth their own treasures.