The campgrounds is on the present site of what was known for over 100 years as the Upper Cherry Creek Placer Camp. From 1863 to 1885 the site probably yielded an ounce of gold per day for each of the 200 men who worked the pay dirt section of Heckman, Cherry and Monashee Creeks. Today, much of the gold is gone but new pay dirt exists with hundreds again searching for it.