Hermosa is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
in
La Plata County,
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
, United States. It is located north of
Durango
Durango, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Durango, is one of the 31 states which make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in the northwest portion of the country. With a population of 1,832,650 ...
along
U.S. Highway 550.
History
The community was established around 1874
and had a post office from 1876 to 1900. Residents are now served by post offices in Durango.
In 2018, the
416 Fire burned northwest of Hermosa, prompting evacuations.
Attractions
The
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, often abbreviated as the D&SNG, is a 3 ft gauge railways, 3 ft (914 mm) Narrow-gauge railway, narrow-gauge heritage railway, heritage railroad that operates on of track between Durango, C ...
has a
water stop
A water stop or water station on a railroad is a place where steam trains stop to replenish water. The stopping of the train itself is also referred to as a "water stop". The term originates from the times of steam engines when large amounts ...
in Hermosa, and the railroad maintains a maintenance yard and a siding there, which is sometimes called the Hermosa Depot. The yard has a prominent railroad
water tank
A water tank is a container for Water storage, storing water, for many applications, drinking water, irrigation, fire suppression, farming, both for plants and livestock, chemical manufacturing, food preparation as well as many other uses. Water ...
that is easily seen by motorists passing through Hermosa on Highway 550.
Hermosa Creek passes through the community from west to east and has its confluence with the
Animas River
Animas River (''On-e-mas''; ) is a river in the western United States, a tributary of the San Juan River, part of the Colorado River System.
The river has experienced numerous catastrophes due to the mining nearby, the largest being the 201 ...
nearby.
The Hermosa Cliffs,
formed of red sandstone, line the river valley in Hermosa.
See also
*
Durango Micropolitan Statistical Area
The Durango Micropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Micropolitan Statistical Area located in the Durango area of the State of Colorado. The Durango Micropolitan Statistical Area is defined as La Plata County, Colo ...
References
External links
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in La Plata County, Colorado
Unincorporated communities in Colorado