Scenic Highway of Legends

Story of the Byway

The Spanish Peaks, a pair of prominent mountains, or geologic “stocks”, are the centerpiece and theme of the Scenic Highway of Legends. They rise up like an enormous fortress giving these twin peaks the illusion that they are considerably higher than the 13,626-foot elevation. The Ute, Comanche, and Apache tribes considered these profoundly undisturbed landmarks to be the abode of the gods. Spanish and French trappers, gold seekers, hunters, settlers, and the U.S. military used them as a reference point as they traveled the Santa Fe Trail. Among the most unusual features of the Spanish Peaks are the great dikes radiating out from the mountains like spokes of a wheel. The roadway features natural attractions such as San Isabel National Forest, Spanish Peaks Wilderness, Four Colorado State Wildlife Areas, the Gap at Stonewall, and Goemmer's Butte. The Scenic Highway of Legends marks a crossroads of cultures, where diverse peoples have responded to the land’s power and beauty by protecting its intrinsic qualities. Travelers driving the road today are astonished by how profoundly undisturbed this land remains. This natural beauty evokes inexplicable feelings, like the mysteries and the legends told along the Scenic Highway of Legends.