OUTDOOR
EDUCATION CENTER

WINKS LODGE &
OUTDOOR CENTER

OUTDOOR
ADVENTURE GROUP

LIVING HISTORY

PEDAL THE PLATTE

EVENTS LISTING/LINKS

Historic Winks Lodge & Outdoor Center

The Lincoln Hills Development Company, planned and organized in 1922 by prominent Denver African Americans, offered mountain resort lots at a time when people-of-color were not allowed to obtain lodging or enjoy the amenities of public parks in Colorado. Located in Gilpin County, the Lincoln Hills community was one of only four such resorts in the entire United States.

Constructed in 1928 by Wendall (Winks) Hamlet, Winks Lodge serviced thousands of vacationers and was a destination for many famous African American literary artists and musical entertainers. Recognized for its significance as a private commercial and entrepreneurial endeavor, as well as its significance in the larger social arena of discrimination and segregation, Winks Lodge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Through an acquisition grant by the State Historical Fund, Beckwourth Outdoors purchased the Lodge in April 2006. Once restored, Winks Lodge & Outdoor Center will be available for retreats, family reunions, special events and outdoor activities.

Trailblazing Through History: Annual Benefit

Beckwourth’s first annual Trailblazing Through History event on February 20, 2008 was our first public effort to raise funds for the revitalization of Colorado's historic Winks Lodge & Outdoor Center. Over 250 people attended the western-themed event at the Colorado History Museum. Guests were decked out in ten gallon hats and other western wear and were treated to barbecue, spirits, a lively jazz performance and a journey through Colorado's Black history.

Fox News reporter Jon Bowman presented his December 2007 news segment about the history of Winks Lodge and noted historian, author and Rocky Mountain News columnist Tom (Dr. Colorado) Noel profiled some of Colorado's most prominent African American pioneers. The highlight of the evening, however, was a surprise re-enactment of Dr. Justina Ford by a 20 year-old Outdoor Education Center alumna.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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