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Simpson’s Rest sheltered early pioneer George Simpson in 1867,
when he hid there for days from a band of warring Utes. The summit,
where Simpson is buried, offers unrestricted views of the Purgatoire Valley.
Photo by Jay Slater
Fisher’s Peak “stands there dominating the landscape, a thing of beauty
day or night.” A.R. Mitchell, early Trinidad artist and namesake of the
A.R. Mitchell Museum. This basalt-capped mesa was most likely formed
by horizontal lava flows more than one million years ago. It rises to an
elevation of 9,600 feet south of Trinidad.
Photo by Jay Slater
For early traders and settlers who traveled west on the Santa Fe Trail to
reach Trinidad, the ancient Spanish Peaks signaled the end of a
weary journey. The peaks were named Wahatoya, or
"breasts of the world," by Native Americans.
Photo by Jay Slater
The Sangre de Cristos, the most southerly range of the Rocky Mountain System, were formed over a million years after the nearby Spanish Peaks.
Last Modified 5/23/07