[2] Most of Jackson County is a high relatively broad intermontane basin known as North Park, which covers 1,613 square miles (4,180 km2).

Elevations range from 7,800 to 12,953 feet (3,948 m) above sea level and is home to the head waters of the North Platte River.

The term park is derived from parc, the French word for game preserve.

At one time North Park was filled with herds of deer, antelope and buffalo.

There were so many buffalo in the area the Ute Tribe gave North Park the name "Bull Pen."

In the beginning, no one paid much attention to North Park because it was hunting grounds of the Ute and Arapaho Indians.

This did not make the North Park residents very happy and they pushed for their own county until Jackson was formed.