Early European explorers dubbed South Park Bayou Salado, one of Colorado’s four high-altitude mountain parks. From Wilkerson Pass, it appears as a great flat plain, perhaps the best-known mountain park in the state. The name combines French and Spanish terms referring to the large salt deposits on South Park’s southwestern margin, which attracted grazing animals. Vast numbers of game animals also led to the use of the French word parc, meaning hunting preserve. Mountains ring the basin, with the Kenosha and Tarryall Mountains to the east, the Mosquito Range to the west, and the Park Range to the north. The Continental Divide runs along the highest points of the Mosquito and Park ranges. To the south stand the volcanic formations of Thirtynine Mile Mountain, Black Mountain, and Dick’s Peak. The Middle and South forks of the South Platte River and their tributaries cross the park on their way to the Missouri. South Park is a high-elevation prairie visible from space that serves as a transition zone for many plant and animal species, and its high water table, natural salt deposits, and thick native grasses long drew both game animals and people.