In The NoCo

These women inspired the names of some of Colorado’s biggest landmarks. A new book uncovers their stories

By In The NoCo,

Published May 16, 2025 at 5:35 AM MDT

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Sarah Campbell, a woman wearing a blue-gray zipped up hoodie and sunglasses, smiles in a selfie with a Colorado mountain lake and mountain range behind her. — "Places named for men are named for their last names, but places named for women are named for their first names, or for a nickname; and that makes the search really challenging," says Colorado author Sarah Hahn Campbell, pictured here on Mt. Flora with Ethel Lake in the background. Her new book explores the stories of the women for whom some of Colorado's iconic landmarks are named.

Colorado has an abundance of mountains named after famous men – think Long’s Peak, Mount Wilson, or Pikes Peak.

Since childhood, Sarah Hahn Campbell has been fascinated by the people behind place names. But she discovered little to no information on peaks, lakes or trails named after women.

So, in 2017, the Denver-based author and high school teacher set out to research the mysterious women behind the names of some of Colorado’s landmarks.

That culminated in Sarah's new book, Her Place on the Map: 18 Women and the Colorado Wonders Named for Them. It’s part trail guide and part history lesson, exploring 18 Colorado trails, mountains and lakes, while highlighting the stories of the women for whom these places were named.

She spoke with Erin O’Toole about the book, and how challenging it was to learn about the real women behind the names.

Sarah will discuss the book and share some of her favorite local hikes at 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Wolverine Farm in Fort Collins.

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In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

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Erin O'Toole

As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

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Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

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Ariel Lavery

Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University’s NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family’s financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.

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