The route begins 4.5 miles northwest of Fairplay at the Highway 9 and follows Mosquito Pass Road to Leadville. The U.S. Forest Service created an interpretive auto tour placing 9 numbered signposts along the road that highlight the mining history of the region.

The route crosses through National Forest lands and private property, so please respect the rights of private landowners. Some of the historic mining sites may contain mine shafts and other dangerous mine workings, most of which are on private land. Visitors should exercise caution when leaving their vehicles.

The tour has not been officially designated as a state scenic byway.

Mining Madness, The Lore and Legend

The lore and legend of area names provides a good example of the whimsical and spontaneous consensus-building that occurred in the early mining days. After a long meeting without deciding on what to call their town, area residents disbanded for the night. When they resumed their gathering the next day and reopened the ledger to record the discussions, a squashed mosquito marked the page. "Mosquito" seemed as good a name as any other, and a compromise was quickly reached.

1861 was a busy and profitable year in what became the Mosquito District. The first discovery, the Newland Lode, came in June and was followed by the Sterling Lode in July; later that summer the Lulu Lode and the Orphan Boy were started. By September, the town of Sterling was laid out in Mosquito District not far from the Orphan Boy Mine, which became one of the important gold producers in Park County. In its four decades of existence Sterling was alternately called Sterling City and Mosquito.

A Vermonter, Nathan Hurd, brought a 12-stamp mill into the District and built a wagon road to Sterling. John Smith, one of four discoverers of lhe Sterling Lode and owner of a quartz mill in Sterling, built a two-story mercantile which opened for business in 1862. The next year he opened a post office to serve the needs of the town's 250 residents. Samuel Leach, who came to Sterling from Denver to run the post office, wrote back of the peace and quiet of the town. Sterling had no lynchings, no murders, no gambling, a claim few other mining towns could make.

We may never know if the peacefulness and civility of Sterling led to its demise. By 1863, men were leaving for mines in Montana and Idaho, or heading east to fight in the Civil War. John Smith's store lingered until 1899. Sterling's population declined steadily; by the mid 1870's, fewer than 30 residents remained. The town was empty at the start of the 20th century. Over the years the forest has reclaimed the area. Native plants and wildlife inhabit what once was Sterling. Little human trace remains.

Public Right to Explore

Law in the early mining settlements became a practice of primitive democracy, a code of common consent. Claim holders would form a mining district and adopt regulations for operating in that area. As individual operators gave way to corporate entities with numerous financial backers, the need to clarify ownership and standardize practices throughout the industry and nation became apparent. In 1866 the United States Congress focused its legislative efforts on the lode mining industry and passed the Mining Act of 1866, granting free access to the mineral lands on public domain to any group or individual following the prescribed claim registration procedures. A placer mining act followed four years later. In 1872 Congress combined the two laws into "The General Mining Law." It affirmed the public right to explore, occupy and claim mineral rights on public property for a $5.00 lode fee or a $2.50 placer fee. Ownership of the land could pass to the claimant after minimal improvements to the site occurred. Reclamation of abandoned sites was not stipulated. The Forest Service, in cooperation with the modern miner, has now implemented regulations that help to provide for environmental protection and reclamation.

Recreation

The Mosquito Pass Road is steep and very rocky, moderate to difficult, recommended to traverse by high clearance, 4WD vehicles. It possible to reach the North London Mill in 2WD passenger car. Mosquito Pass is usually only open for six to eight weeks after the snow melts in July.