Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Highway of Legends
ยป
Mileage: 110 miles
COLORADO EXTREME
North America's highest paved road reaches 14,258ft at the summit of Mt Evans. It's open summer only. Take exit
I-70 from Idaho Springs.
Why Go?
This brief but epic detour liberates you from the interstate and escorts you through some of
Colorado's most glorious countryside. It's a welcome detour from I-25 if you are headed
north to Pueblo, Colorado Springs or Denver. If you're already privy to the majesty of the
Spanish Peaks Wilderness, welcome home.
The Route
Your trip begins in Trinidad, where present-day Main St was once an important limb of the
Santa Fe Trail. The Trinidad History Museum offers a primer, and while you're in town
drop into Danielson Dry Goods for some road sustenance. Coal mining was also an import-
ant part of Trinidad's history. You'll see a 'canary in the coal mine' statue on Main St,
which is where Mother Jones once marched with miners during the strike that led to the
Ludlow Massacre, a turning point in US labor relations.
From Trinidad take Hwy 12 through Cokedale, where you'll see 350 coal ovens on the
roadside (they look almost Roman), then head up and over majestic Cucharas Pass and into
Cuchara.
Dominated by extinct volcanoes, the Spanish Peaks, and Great Dikes that jut from mead-
ows to mountains, this place is magic. The rambling Cucharas River has terrific fishing, the
Dog Bar & Grill serves tasty pizza and occasional live music, and the hiking in the Spanish
Peaks Wilderness is some of the best in the state. You can extend the nature bliss by veer-
ing east on a recently added extension to the byway.
County Rd 46 weaves through the San Isabel National Forest for 35 miles to Aguilar on
I-25, but we suggest staying on Hwy 12, which continues down the valley and into excep-
