The history involved with this land goes way back. The Cave of the Winds in Colorado was discovered by Jicarilla Apaches over a thousand years ago, who believed a "Great Spirit of the Wind" resided there. The cave's name is due to the howling wind that escapes through the sinkholes above the cave entrance, a phenomenon noticed by the Pickett brothers when they stumbled upon the cave in 1880. It opened as a tourist attraction in 1881, becoming a popular destination in the young Manitou resort town.