July 11, 2023

How Did the Chimney Hollow Valley Get Its Name?

In the foothills of southern Larimer County sits Chimney Hollow, the valley tucked behind Carter Lake just west of the City of Loveland. Prior to becoming the location for Colorado’s newest water storage project – Chimney Hollow Reservoir – the area was scouted for other purposes, including a potential mountain retreat space for computer hardware company Hewlett-Packard and as a site for transmission lines for the Western Area Power Administration, one of four power marketing administrations within the U.S. Department of Energy. However, the valley’s history stretches even further back, begging the question: Why was the valley named Chimney Hollow?  

Mark French, president of the Berthoud Historical Society and writer for the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor, admits that there is no evidence citing exactly when or how the valley was named. “It was named so early on that it is not well documented. It’s really an oral tradition,” remarks French. “The first time it appears anywhere is in 1908 on a United States Geological Survey (USGS) map.” French also noted that unfortunately, several maps of the area were destroyed in a fire at a Larimer County building in the 1920s.  

Chimney Hollow valley pre-construction with trees in valley

What we do know from other intact historical records is the Cherokee Trail once ran along the Front Range from the late 1840s through the early 1890s. In 1849, the trail was established by a group of Cherokee and other members of the expedition with a wagon train heading west to California in search of gold. It is reported that in the first few decades after 1849, the trail became very active with hundreds of wagons passing by the Chimney Hollow valley each day. During their long journeys, some travelers built cabins in the foothills along the route in order to survive the winter. 

According to narratives passed down from locals in the area, a cabin constructed by one of these travelers once stood in the valley. Remnants of the structure remained there for years, predominantly the cabin’s chimney which became the most conspicuous feature of the valley during that period. Another noteworthy aspect of the valley is Chimney Hollow Creek, the feature that alludes to why the area is called a hollow, not just a valley. Hollows are small valleys surrounded by mountains, hills or ridges that often have a stream running through them. With all of this information, French and other historians conclude that this is likely how this valley became known as Chimney Hollow. 

As the valley’s name caught on and began appearing on USGS maps, Northern Water’s project management staff kept the designation for Chimney Hollow Reservoir. Construction on the 90,000-acre-foot project is estimated to be complete by 2025 and full by 2028, when it will appear on maps as a new reservoir.