Pathfinder Regional Park is the name chosen for the new park being developed on a 178 acre site along Colorado Highway 115 west of Florence. The park is a cooperative venture of the Canon City Recreation and Park District, the Florence-Penrose RE-2 School District, and Fremont County. The three entities unanimously agreed on the selection of 'Pathfinder' for the park name as development will move forward in 2005.
Pathfinder Regional Park was selected because of its' association with Fremont County 's namesake John C. Fremont. Fremont earned the nickname Pathfinder because of his expeditions exploring and mapping the West between 1838 and 1854. The Park's name signifies Fremont County's heritage as well as referencing the trails, open space, and recreational amenities to be featured in the park.
Among other names considered were 'Bluffs', 'Big Horn', 'Eagle Rock', and 'Cottonwood Regional Park'.
It was noted that many other places named for Fremont already employ the Pathfinder name. You can find Pathfinder Dam and Reservoir in Fremont County , Wyoming ; Pathfinder High School is located in Lander, Wyoming ; the BLM's Pathfinder Office is located in Oregon; and Fremont, Nebraska, has a Pathfinder Trail and hosts their annual Pathfinder Duathlon. This will be the first known use of the Pathfinder name here in Fremont County, Colorado.
The next most important step in plans for Pathfinder Regional Park is consideration of a $300,000 State Mineral Impact grant application that would finance construction of the Highway 115 access and turning lanes. District Three County Commissioner Ed Norden and Canon City Recreation District Board President Scott Johnson plan to be in Denver March 23rd to present the grant application.
