Author Archive
A Great Day for a Hike
Improve your blood pressure, build muscle strength, boost your mood, and more by taking a hike. Hit the trails in Spanish Peaks Country where Colorado hiking is taken to a [...]
A Brief Heritage Tour of Spanish Peaks Country
History lives on in Spanish Peaks Country thanks to several cultural institutions that carry the stories of the past. In just a few hours, history buffs can learn a lot [...]
A Quick Family Stop in Walsenburg
Families love Walsenburg. Not only is it a super affordable place to stay, it also offers plenty of opportunities for its youngest visitors to play. Sure, there are trails for exploring [...]
A Short Tour of La Veta and Cuchara
The small towns of La Veta and Cuchara are sure to surprise you. Not only are they enveloped by gorgeous scenery, they also offer historic museums, art galleries, and hikes [...]
An Afternoon in Walsenburg
In just a few hours, visitors to Walsenburg can get a great sense of its history and unique culture with a visit to the Walsenburg Mining Museum and the Museum [...]
Art in an Afternoon
It doesn't take long to learn that Spanish Peaks Country has a thriving art scene. From galleries to art classes, theatrical performances, and more, this little pocket of Southern Colorado [...]
Visit a Historic City
Huerfano County is uniquely situated between two Colorado cities, each with their own storied past. Trinidad, roughly 30 minutes south of Walsenburg, is an almost perfectly preserved Victorian city with [...]
Drive a Scenic Byway
Cover some serious ground in one day by traveling along a Colorado Scenic Byway. Lucky for Spanish Peaks Country visitors, two of Colorado's 11 designated scenic byways pass through Huerfano County. Take [...]
Frontier Pathways Scenic & Historic Byway
The wishbone-shaped Frontier Pathways Scenic & Historic Byway starts in Pueblo, travels west into Westcliffe/Silver Cliff, and then south into Colorado City. The two-lane highway is 103 miles long and [...]
For Art Lovers
For visitors looking to explore art and theater, Spanish Peaks Country often comes as a pleasant surprise. From our art galleries to the Museum and Friends and our theatrical performances, [...]
Francisco Center for the Performing Arts
The Spoon River Players performed its first play, The Silver Whistle, on July 31, 1976 in an old, 1892 Presbyterian church on Francisco Street. William H. Adamson built the white, [...]
Huerfano County Historical Society
Take a deep dive into Huerfano County’s history with the Huerfano County Historical Society. This organization collects archival photos, newspapers, and Huerfano County records from the 1890s to the present. [...]
For History Buffs
History buffs can dig deep into Spanish Peaks Country's rich history at any one of our history museums and historic sites. The following are some of the region's most popular [...]
Spanish Peaks Birding Trail
Colorado Parks and Wildlife began building the statewide Colorado Birding Trail in 2000, connecting points rich in birds and wildlife. The trail now consists of three regions—Western Colorado, Rocky Mountains, [...]
For Animal Lovers
Do you gush over four-legged, furry friends? Do you stop mid-sentence to admire a bird that's flown by? Do you talk to a horse as though it will talk back? [...]
La Veta Pass
La Veta Pass (more properly known as North La Veta Pass) bridges the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between the eastern plains and the San Luis Valley at an elevation of [...]
A Family Adventure
Fill your day with adventure at the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, just a quick drive from Walsenburg. After dinner, cool down under the stars on La Veta [...]
Walsenburg and La Veta Parks
Spanish Peaks Country’s public parks serve a vital role for locals and visitors alike. From baseball fields and playgrounds to skate parks and basketball courts, there’s something for everyone. Whether [...]
Walsenburg Wild Waters
Beat the heat at Walsenburg Wild Waters, Spanish Peaks Country’s family-friendly water park. With three different pools, a lazy river, two giant water slides, and interactive water features including fountains, [...]
Family Fun in Spanish Peaks Country
Spanish Peaks Country is awesome for families. We've got affordable, outdoor play that shows off our incredible scenery and cools you down when the days are hot. Activity #1 – [...]
La Veta Art Galleries
La Veta may be small and laid-back, but it’s also the art hub of the Spanish Peaks Region. Galleries featuring local, national, and international artists dot La Veta’s quaint Main [...]
Explore La Veta and Cuchara
La Veta and Cuchara bookmark a gorgeous valley filled with geological wonders and lush riverbanks. Fill your cultural bucket in La Veta before driving into Cuchara for a hike through [...]
Cuchara Trails
Cuchara, with its lush, pine forests, is made for hiking. Plan your next weekend getaway to Cuchara and spend your days lost in nature on any one of the following [...]
Walsenburg Trails
From Walsenburg, take a quick hike in Lathrop State Park or head north for the more arduous, yet adventurous, Lily Lake Trail. #1 - Hogback Nature Trail 2 miles | [...]
Highway of Legends National Scenic Byway
State Highway 12, the Scenic Highway of Legends, ties Walsenburg, La Veta, Cuchara, Stonewall, Trinidad, and Aguilar together with a ribbon of asphalt that journeys through some of the nation’s [...]
Fishing in Spanish Peaks Country
With a wide range of waters from high mountain lakes and streams to rivers, reservoirs, and lakes, you’ll find a variety of cold and warm water fish in and around Spanish [...]
The Spanish Peaks
The Spanish Peaks are geologically distinct from the faulted and uplifted mountains of the Sangre de Cristo range to the west. To the geologist, the Spanish Peaks are prime examples [...]
A People’s History of the Spanish Peaks
The Spanish Peaks of Southern Colorado have been among the most important landmarks of the southwestern United States, guiding Native American tribes, Spanish and French trappers, gold seekers, hunters, and [...]
Lathrop State Park
Colorado’s first state park, Lathrop State Park features two lakes and nearly 1,600 acres of recreational land nestled among the pinyons and junipers of the Spanish Peaks' foothills. Martin Lake [...]
Walsenburg Mining Museum
Walsenburg was called the “City Built on Coal” during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and nowhere else in Spanish Peaks Country will give you as much opportunity to [...]
Museum of Friends
The Museum of Friends (MoF’s) home is the historic “Roof and Dick” building in the heart of downtown Walsenburg. MoF is a Contemporary Art Museum incorporated in 2007 by artists [...]
Explore Walsenburg
Spend the whole day exploring Walsenburg. From history and art to a refreshing hike filled with breathtaking scenery, this full-day itinerary has it all… and with minimal driving! Activity #1 [...]
Uptop Historic District
In 1877, The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad crossed the Rocky Mountains for the first time over La Veta Pass in Huerfano County. Aptly named “Railroad Above the Clouds,” this [...]
Pueblo
Take a quick and easy drive north of Walsenburg and discover Pueblo, a culturally and historically-rich Colorado city made famous by being one of the largest steel-producing cities in the [...]
Twelve Must-Dos in Spanish Peaks Country
There’s so much to do in Spanish Peaks Country, where does one start? Good thing we compiled a list of some of our favorite activities. Take our challenge and try [...]
The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Nestled in Southern Colorado, the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve features North America's tallest dunes, which rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. [...]
La Veta School of the Arts
Treat yourself to a creative experience you won't soon forget at La Veta School of the Arts. With well-known, respected instructors, La Veta School of the Arts has established a [...]
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains
The Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range is one of the longest ranges on Earth. It stretches from Poncha Pass in Central Colorado to Glorieta Pass southeast of Santa Fe, New [...]
Gardner
Gardner is a small community halfway between the Wet Mountains and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in upper Huerfano County. Historically, the area was crisscrossed by Ute, Comanche, and Apache [...]
La Veta Trails
La Veta is a pocket of pristine beauty in the heart of Spanish Peaks Country. While a variety of recreational opportunities are available to all visitors, it’s the city’s trails [...]
The Ludlow Massacre and the Colorado Coalfield War
During Colorado’s coal mining days, colliers experienced twice the number of deaths compared to anywhere else in the world. These high death tolls reflected the mine owners’ gross negligence to [...]
Trinidad
Drive half an hour south of Walsenburg and check out Trinidad, a place where no one is a stranger, art thrives, and history runs deep. Just 12 miles north of [...]
Mission: Wolf
Mission: Wolf is a peaceful sanctuary for captive wolves and wolf-dog crosses in the mountains of Huerfano County. The more than 30 wolves and wolf-dog crosses living at Mission: Wolf [...]
Fox Theatre
The Fox Theatre, a Walsenburg historic landmark, dates back to 1917 when it was named the Star Theatre. Upon its opening, the Walsenburg World reported, “Besides being a high-class picture [...]