NEDERLAND — The Nederland Visitors Center is an important part of the mountain town, as it helps to promote local businesses, events, and organizations, while also funneling tourists into new adventures and experiences, creating smiles and long-lasting memories. 

But in order to craft such authentic experiences and happy memories, the Visitors Center requires the right person for the job, with love and understanding of Nederland’s past, present, and future.

“Go across the bridge there, take a left and go down that trail, and be sure to stop and just take off your shoes, step into that mountain water,” Jill Dreves said to one of the very first guests that came into the Nederland Visitors Center on Sunday morning.  

The Visitors Center is the spot for local maps and history, and to be engaged with Nederland culture as represented through its art and music.

Photo by Christopher Kelley

Dreves, the hardworking local who is perhaps best known as the founder and mastermind behind Wild Bear Nature Center, is now bringing her knowledge, experience, and her savviness and wizardry from the nonprofit world to the Visitors Center as its new captain.

“I’m happy to be the ambassador here,” Dreves said, as she opened up shop and pinned up a Nederland Farmers Market flier that was waiting for her under a rock by the front door when she arrived. “This center is feeding everything in Nederland: the businesses, the nonprofits, the artists and musicians—and I also want to support every event.” 

Though she is thrilled to be in the forefront of all things Nederland again, having stepped back from the captain’s helm of the nature center and immersed herself into familial responsibilities, she recognizes that she has some big boots to fill at the Visitors Center, and that she hopes to respectfully carry forth the legacy of those who came before.

“Sharon Ferguson did a tremendous job in here, and that spirit lives on. And Teresa too, and others who have contributed to making this an important place,” Dreves said, giving recognition to locals Ferguson and Teresa Crush-Warren, who helped curate a special, welcoming atmosphere at the center.  

The loss of such unicorn ambassadors to the Peak to Peak region severely impacted the Visitors Center, and staffing shortages persisted through 2024 and 2025. To make matters worse, the center also suffered some light damage due to a small appliance fire. 

Town Manager Jonathan Cain made the case to the Board of Trustees for the Town to reorganize and restaff the center, and to run it under a renewed structure. With a newly drafted mission statement and a Scope of Services for the ideal manager—along with a healthy but realistic budget and the vision to run the center with regular hours from May to October—the Town began a lengthy application and hiring process early in the spring. 

Though the process lasted well into July, the wait was well worth it, as Dreves’ presence at the Visitors Center has already sparked positive results.

“I’ve had over 1,500 visitors in three weeks,” Dreves remarked. “I had 150 people just yesterday.” 

Dreves’ philosophy for the Visitors Center is simple, as her main goal as a Nederland enthusiast herself is to make sure people are having a memorable experience in and around town.

“What I have learned since I’ve been here is that every single person comes in so happy to be here—it’s a very positive energy. The second thing I’ve learned is how much I love Nederland; being here has really revitalized to me what Nederland has. Our town is so awesome!”

Every visitor is counted with her official clicker, and then urged to fill out the guest book, and to especially indicate where they’re visiting from. A map of the Netherlands hangs up, with colorful pins placed all over it, as she has had so many visitors from that region come in over the last three weeks that she’s had the doors open again. 

“I get like three groups from the Netherlands a day. Recently I’ve gotten visitors from Poland, Spain, Turkey, England, Switzerland, Germany, and those are the ones I remember—and then there are the ones from Denver who are coming up here to get out of the heat.” 

Jill Dreves has seen so many visitors from the Netherlands that she added a map for them to leave their mark.

Photo by Christopher Kelley

Though retail items will be sold at the center, both Cain and Dreves are much more focused on how the Visitors Center can be used as a conduit to the rest of Nederland. Dreves has already begun applying some of her ideas—while also seeking collaboration from the community—on how to fairly highlight all that Nederland has to offer. 

“We haven’t really spent any money; we’ve been trying to get rid of the inventory that we have and people have been engaging, which is good,” Cain explained to The Mountain-Ear. He had stopped in at the Visitors Center with his family on that hot Sunday, excited to tell Dreves that he had secured an ice cream freezer.

“I really think we can keep it open more steadily now, and we plan to be open until at least Halloween—if we can get to January that means we’ve done really well, so that’s the goal.”

Cain added that the Town’s collaboration with the Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) will play a major part in the ongoing success of the Visitors Center. Wayfinding signage that provides a map to local businesses is planned to be installed at the center soon, and the NDDA’s Public Art Committee are working on a mural of the Peak to Peak region for the center, as well as planning to host part of the upcoming NederDays of Art event there.  

As Dreves explained how Nederland artists and crafters would be featured monthly and able to sell consignment through the shop, how posters and QR codes pointing to nearby events were being displayed, and how the outdoor sidewalk space was going to be used to put the spotlight on a different nonprofit every month, she would periodically have to stop the interview to direct a tourist to local hikes, scenic drives, places to eat, places to shop, and even one tourist on where to find Dramamine.

“I have my spiel,” Dreves joked, before getting into detail. “I try to hit every business, I know all the trails in the area…and all the rules of the trails.” A Nederland youth suddenly came into the center and politely interrupted. He asked if he could sell his homemade lemonade out front, to which Dreves gave an enthusiastic “Yes!” 

The quick interaction made her think about that spiel she gives to visitors, and about how it’s directing them to the real Nederland. 

“These are 100% locals, entrepreneurial, who are working hard to create something that you will love —so go find it and love on it!”