Most people drive through South Park on Highway 285 without stopping. They're headed to Breckenridge or Vail or Keystone, and the flat, open grassland between Kenosha Pass and Hoosier Pass doesn't exactly scream "pull over." The towns are small. The mountains frame the horizon instead of crowding it. There's no gondola, no Main Street shopping district, no $18 craft cocktails. That's the whole point. Fairplay is the county seat of Park County, population around 700, elevation 9,953 feet. Its neighbor Alma, three miles north, sits at 10,578 feet — making it the highest incorporated municipality in the United States. Together with the surrounding South Park basin, they form one of the most underappreciated corners of Colorado's high country. If you're the kind of person who thinks the best parts of Colorado are the parts that haven't been discovered by Instagram yet, keep reading. Getting There Fairplay is about two hours from Denver via Highway 285 over Kenosha Pass (10,001 feet). The drive itself is one of the best in Colorado — once you crest Kenosha, the entire South Park basin opens up below you, ringed by the Mosquito Range to the west and the Tarryall Mountains to the east. In fall, the aspen groves on Kenosha Pass are some of the most photographed in the state. From Breckenridge, Fairplay is 25 minutes south over Hoosier Pass (11,542 feet). From Buena Vista, it's about 45 minutes north on Highway 285. There's no commercial airport — the nearest is Denver International (DIA), about 100 miles east. Winter driving note: Highway 285 over Kenosha Pass can be slippery after storms. AWD or good snow tires are strongly recommended November through April. Hoosier Pass between Fairplay and Breck is higher and steeper — check CDOT conditions before heading over in winter. What Fairplay Is (And Isn't) Fairplay is not a resort town. There's no ski area, no luxury hotel, no craft brewery district. It's a real town where real people live and work, mostly in ranching, mining history tourism, and the service economy that supports the surrounding area. The main street has a handful of restaurants, a couple of shops, a brewery, and the kind of quiet that makes you realize how loud your normal life is. What Fairplay IS: a base camp. From here, you can reach four ski areas in under an hour (Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper, and A-Basin via Hoosier Pass). You can fish some of the best trout water in Colorado (the South Platte's Dream Stream section is twenty minutes south). You can hike fourteeners (Mount Democrat, Mount Lincoln, Mount Bross, and Quandary Peak are all accessible from the Alma side). You can drive Mosquito Pass, one of the highest and most dramatic 4x4 roads in the state. And you can do all of it with about 1/100th the crowds you'd find in Summit County. Where to Eat Millonzi's The best restaurant in Fairplay, and honestly one of the best Italian restaurants in the mountain region. Millonzi's is a family-run spot that serves homemade pasta, excellent salads, and Italian-American dishes that feel like they belong in a much bigger town. The building is cozy, the portions are generous, and the wine list is surprisingly thoughtful. Reservations recommended on weekends — this place fills up because there's nothing else within 30 miles that touches it. South Park Brewing Fairplay's brewery is exactly what a small-town brewery should be — good beer, friendly bartenders, a food menu that doesn't try too hard, and a patio with views of the surrounding peaks. The Mosquito Pass IPA is the flagship. The green chile burger is the food order. On summer evenings, this is the center of social life in Fairplay. The Platte River Bar & Grill A solid, no-frills spot for burgers, sandwiches, and cold beer. The Platte River caters to the after-fishing crowd and the passing-through-on-285 crowd in equal measure. Nothing will blow your mind, but everything is done well and the prices are about half of what you'd pay for the same meal in Breckenridge. Frequently Asked Questions Is Fairplay Colorado worth visiting? Yes, Fairplay is worth visiting as a base for fishing the Dream Stream and South Platte River, exploring historic South Park, and experiencing a quieter mountain town away from resort crowds. It's 85 miles from Denver with significantly lower lodging costs than Summit County resorts. Check Today's Conditions Fishing scores, snow outlook, road conditions — updated every morning View Conditions → Discovering Park County? Get the insider guide. We cover Fairplay, Alma, and the whole South Park basin alongside Summit and Eagle Counties. Free, every Thursday. Subscribe Free →