Fort Collins Mysteries: What’s the Story Behind the ‘Lorena’ Van?
If you've been up Rist Canyon, you've seen it. So, what's the deal with that old van covered in graffiti that's been sitting for years in a vacant field?
No one really seems to know the story behind the 'Lorena' van; it's just one of Northern Colorado's 'wonders.'
At one point though, according to North Forty News, the space above the windshield used to just read 'LORENA :) ,' which is presumably how it got its name. Other messages on the van have changed over the years, too.
As we know, that area was devastated by the massive High Park wildfire in 2012, after which, it looked like this:
North Forty News held a contest years ago for fictional submissions about the origin of 'Lorena.' You can read them here, but these fictional stories are really the only thing out there about how this landmark came to be. Do you know something we don't?