Teller County Is a Different Kind of Suburb
Most people familiar with Teller County wouldn’t really think of it as a suburb. It is really pretty rural, but the fact is that most of Teller County lives in the shadow of Colorado Springs economically, and as part of our Multiple Listing Service (MLS) area, deserves some coverage of its own from time to time.
Woodland Park is about 20 minutes up the Ute Pass, due west of Colorado Springs, and claims 7600 residents. It is the county seat, and the only real city in Teller County, possessing both a Super Walmart and a MacDonalds (among other shopping and dining opportunities!) . It is the jumping off point for driving trips further west into the mountains. At 8500 ft in elevation, it is cooler climate than Colorado Springs, and can be a nice quick getaway in its own right on a hot day.
Some of the other towns and areas of Teller County include Divide, Florissant, and Cripple Creek. Cripple Creek is an old mining town turned gambling center. Divide and Florissant have a lot of semi-vacation type homes that are pretty much year round residences these days. Divide is home to Mueller State Park, and Florissant has the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. The average selling price for homes in Teller County for the 2nd quarter of 2010 was $199,324, the median was $174,900.
What brought Teller County to mind for me was a trip up there yesterday to add a new lock box to a home that I have listed (which is now under contract), in Divide. On the way back, I stopped at The Crags trailhead, a ‘back side’ route up Pikes Peak, and took a little hike. This was a delightful hike, and I look forward to taking it up even further on a day when I have more time and can start earlier. The west side of Pikes Peak, Mueller State Park, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, and of course the rest of the Pike National Forest make Teller County a real playground for those of us who live in Colorado Springs and the surrounding areas.