Rico, Colorado

Rico is a town in Dolores County, Colorado, United States. It was settled in 1879 as a silver mining center in the Pioneer Mining District; today it functions as a historic and tourism site. The population was 288 at the 2020 census. Its current form of government is that of a home rule municipality.

"Rico" is a name derived from Spanish meaning "rich".

Pioneer Mining District

The Pioneer Mining District, also known as the Rico Mining District, is located in Dolores County, Colorado, and is primarily known for its silver, lead, and zinc mining. The town of Rico, Colorado, was a major settlement within this district, established in 1879 as a silver mining center. The area's mining history extends beyond these metals, with evidence of gold and other minerals as well.

Whitecap Mountain, 12,376', Rico Mountains, from Hotel Draw

The Rico Mountains are a small range separated into two blocks by the Dolores River and the historic mining hamlet of Rico on CO 145. There are seven ranked peaks on the west block and five on the east. Whitecap lies one mile southwest of Blackhawk Mountain, the high point in the range. The long, 4.2 mile approach on the Colorado Trail begins from Hotel Draw in the Hermosa Creek drainage. The woods retreat in the crystalline, high alpine Straight Creek basin. Leave the cross-state trail at "Blackhawk Pass" and the excitement begins. The half-mile-long north ridge of Whitecap is an exercise in mindfulness for experienced mountaineers. It is exposed and the rock is shattered and loose. The near vertical crux on the summit cone argues for limiting group size to two. The flat-topped, relatively spacious summit is another of Colorado's remarkable points of vantage. LiDAR, a new, more accurate measurement technology, has elevated Whitecap to 12,409 feet with a prominence of 365 feet. The hike is within the San Juan National Forest. Source: Whitecap Mountain

 

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