Exploring the woods nearby you may find evidence of old coal mines from the Alpine Coal Camp that thrived in this area from 1884 to the 1930s. The mines are hazardous, so do not enter them. The chimney in the wood picnic shelter is all that remains of a farmhouse the once occupied this site. The exceptional craftsmanship of civilian works programs are evident in the wood shelter that was built by Job Corps in the late 1960s. The foundation and chimney stone from the old farm house were used to form the original picnic shelter. The farmhouse was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. In exchange for the building of the house the owners agreed to sell what is now Alpine Picnic Area to the federal government. The house was eventually torn down in the early 1960s.