By Erin Spillane, Planet Contributor Jan 21, 2020

This week, take a moment to wish Bear Creek a happy birthday.

On Jan. 23, 1995, ownership of the 320-acre parcel that stretches south from Telluride Town Park, formerly a patchwork of mining claims and private lands in lower Bear Creek Canyon, passed to the then-newly formed San Miguel Conservation Foundation (SMCF) and, ultimately, the Town of Telluride.