San Luis Valley

SAN LUIS VALLEY

The San Luis Valley does not have Indian ruins as the rest of the 4 Corners

The Valley was considered as a Sacred Place -

Links: ~ San Luis Valley Photos ~ San Luis Valley Counties ~ Towns & Villages ~

San Luis Valley History ~ San Luis Valley Land Grants ~ The UTES ~

San Luis Valley Organizations ~ San Luis Valley Resources ~ San Luis Valley Water ~

San Luis Valley Agriculture ~ San Luis Valley Mountains & Rivers ~

Historic Roads in the San Luis Valley ~ San Luis Valley Present Day Passes ~

San Luis Valley Historic Passes ~ San Luis Valley Railroads Timeline ~

~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~ STATE OF COLORADO ~ 4 CORNERS SW USA ~

SAN LUIS VALLEY CO

San Luis Valley – Text – Photos – Links – KSCLAND Site -

http://www.kscland.com/valley/

San Luis Valley MAP – CO Directory Site -

http://coloradodirectory.com/maps/sanluis.html

San Luis Valley MAP – Colorado State University Site –

http://www.colostate.edu/Orgs/VegNet/coagmet/maps/slvmap.html

San Luis Valley – Demographics – Text – Links – Wkipedia Site –

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Luis_Valley

San Luis Valley CO by James S. Aber – Emporia State University –

http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/field/rocky_mt/zapata.htm

San Luis Valley Business & Vacation Guide –

http://www.sanluisvalley-co.worldweb.com/

San Luis Valley Bibliography –

http://www.alamosaco.homestead.com/SLVbibliography.html

~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

San Luis Valley Photos

San Luis Valley – Photos – Links – Image MAP -Sangres Site –

http://sangres.com/places/slv/

Highway 17 near Moffat - Panoramic View – Rocky Mountain Scenery Site -

http://rockymountainscenery.com/mountains/sanluis/01.html

Mt. San Antonio Photo – by Geraint Smith Photography –

http://www.geraintsmith.com/potd/pages/archive/june_06/june_14_06.html

~ San Luis Valley Photos ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

San Luis Valley Counties

~ Alamosa County ~ Conejos County ~ Costilla County ~

~ Rio Grande County ~ Saguache County ~

~ San Luis Valley Counties ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

San Luis Valley Towns & Villages

San Luis Valley Region at a glance – CO edge on line Site -

http://www.coloradoedgeonline.com/san_luis_valley.htm

San Luis Valley – Links to Principal Towns – Wilipedia Site –

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Luis_Valley

~ Towns & Villages ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

San Luis Valley History

Link to: ~ San Luis Valley Land Grants ~The UTES ~

San Luis Valley History – Text - Links - MAPS - KSCLand Site -

http://www.kscland.com/slv_history/

San Luis Valley History – MAP – Melby Ranch Site –

http://www.melbyranch.com/slhist.htm

History of the San Luis Valley – Museum Trail Site –

http://museumtrail.com/ValleyHistory.asp

History of the San Luis Valley – Information by Topic Museum Trail Site –

http://museumtrail.com/TeachersandStudents.asp

A History of the San Luis Valley – Text – Photos – Links –Black Smoke Site -

http://www.wagon-wheel-gap.freehomepage.com/Towns-SLV.htm

~ San Luis Valley History ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

“A very brief Geologic History of the San Luis Valley” by Alan McFadden, Links –

Monte Vista School Site –

http://monte.k12.co.us/misc/slvgeol/slvgeol.htm

San Luis Valley Archaeology Network –

http://slvarchnet.org/Index.html

History & Culture of the San Luis Valley – USDA Site -

http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/riogrande/about/history/index.shtml

Southern Colorado Cultures – Our State, Our Cultures Regional Essays: Essay –

Links – Audio – Video – Lesson Plan - by Kathleen Figgen -

http://www.dogstar.org/ties/pdfs/6_Southern_Colorado_Cultures.pdf

Hispano Music & Culture of the Northern Rio Grande by Juan B. Rael –

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/rghtml/rghome.html

~ San Luis Valley History ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

Admixture in the Hispanics of the San Luis Valley Colorado, and its implications for complex trait gene mapping -

Study –

http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/publications/list.php?inpress=1&filter=list&value=15008793&view=abstract

Link to: COSTILLA Co CO

San Luis Town (1851) First European Settlement in Colorado

San Luis Peoples Ditch (1852) First Water Right in Colorado

1852 Ft. Massachusetts Built ~ 1858 Ft Garland Built

Link to: CONEJOS Co CO

Spanish Colonists from Northern NM towns such as Abiquiu, El Rito, Rio Arriba, Rio Colorado

& Taos, made several attempts to settle along the Conejos River starting in the 1840's, but

but were driven back by the "Utes" to New Mexico. Conejos Village was settled in 1854 -

First Church in Colorado 1857 “Our Lady of Guadalupe” 1857

~ San Luis Valley History ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

SAN LUIS VALLEY LAND GRANTS

Spanish-Mexican Land Grants – MAP – State of Colorado Site –

http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/mlg/mlgmap.html

History of the Baca Grande by Mary Adboo –

http://www.bacapoa.org/poa

San Luis Land Grant – Text by Marlin Aker, Jr. Site –

http://www.kmitch.com/Taos/sanluis.html

Mexican Land Grants in Colorado – by Martha Quillen – CO Central Magazine Site

http://www.cozine.com/archive/cc2001/00940191.html

~ San Luis Valley Land Grants ~ San Luis Valley History ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

The “UTES”

Chronology of the Ute Tribe – Ute Mountain Ute Site –

http://www.utemountainute.com/chronology.htm

History of the Ute Tribes in Colorado – Durango Site –

http://www.durango.org/Experiences/NativeAmerican.asp

“The UTES” – Text – Photos – Links - by Richard N. Ellis – Mountain Studies Site –

http://www.mountainstudies.org/databank/history/UteHistory.htm

People of the Shining Mountains – “The UTE” – Text – Silverstage Site -

http://www.silverstage.net/utes.htm

~ The UTES ~ San Luis Valley History ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

San Luis Valley ORGANIZATIONS

San Luis Valley Animal Welfare Society -

http://www.slvaws.org/

San Luis Valley Archaeological Network –

http://www.slvarchnet.org/

Boys and Girls Club of the San Luis Valley –

http://www.bgcslv.org

San Luis Valley Board of Cooperative Educational Services –

http://www.slvbocs.org

San Luis Valley Early Childhood Council –

http://www.valleykidscare.org/

San Luis Valley Development Resources Group –

http://www.slvdrg.org/

~ San Luis Valley Organizations ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

San Luis Valley Regional EMS/Trama Advisory Council – RETAC -

http://www.sanluisvalleyretac.org/index.html

San Luis Valley Habitat for Humanity –

http://www.habitatcolorado.org/SanLuisValley/

San Luis Valley Area Health Education Center -

http://www.slvahec.org/

San Luis Valley Comprehensive Community Mental Health Center –

http://www.slvmhc.org/

San Luis Valley Museum Association – MAP – Museum Trail Site –

http://museumtrail.org/

San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.

http://www.slvrec.com/

San Luis Valley Solar Association –

http://www.slv-solar.org/

~ San Luis Valley Organizations ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

San Luis Valley Resources

Environmental & Conservation Educational Council –

http://www.slv-ecec.org

The San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council –

http://slvec.org/

The San Luis Valley Focus Area – US Fish & Wildlife Site –

http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/pfw/colorado/co34.htm

San Luis Valley Upper Rio Grande Ecosystem – MAP – Links –

US Fish & Wildlife Service –

http://www.fws.gov/alamosa/SLV.html

San Luis Valley Resource Conservation & Development –

Independent Non-profit Organization –

http://www.slv-rcd.org/

~ San Luis Valley Resources ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

San Luis Valley Public Land Center – Text – Links – SLV ECEC Site –

http://www.slv-ecec.org/sites/salu01.htm

San Luis Valley Public Land Center – BLM Site –

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/slvplc.html

The San Luis Valley – The Nature Conservancy Site -

http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/colorado/work/art382.html

Alamosa/Monte Vista/Baca National Wildlife Refuges –

http://www.fws.gov/alamosa

~ San Luis Valley Resources ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

San Luis Valley Water

Dry Land & Water – San Luis Valley CO – MAPS – Photos - Text – Graphs -

Links – by Prof. Paul R. Baumann, State University,Oneonta NY -

http://employees.oneonta.edu/baumanpr/geosat2/Dry_Land_Water/Dry_Land_Water.htm

San Luis Valley & Rio Grande Basin – MAP – Chart – Links - CO Geological Survey Site –

http://geosurvey.state.co.us/wateratlas/chapter7_1page1.asp

Aquifers – Text with Images – University of Colorado Site -

http://carbon.cudenver.edu/stc-link/slv/engr3400d.html

The San Luis Valley Project by Wm Joe Simonds – Water Needs & History – USBR Site –

http://www.usbr.gov/dataweb/html/sanluis1.html

~ San Luis Valley Water ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

Irrigation Ditches – San Luis Valley – Historic Drawing – University of Northern CO Site -

http://hewit.unco.edu/DOHIST/farmrnch/farmwork/irrigate/one.htm

The Iberian Origins of New Mexico’s Community Acequias by Jose A. Rivera UNM –

Thomas F. Glick Boston University –

http://eh.net/XIIICongress/cd/papers/17GlickRivera409.pdf

San Luis Valley will celebrate a century of reservoirs – Photos & Article by Melvin &

Camille Gets – Colorado Central Magazine Site –

http://www.cozine.com/archive/cc2007/01610111.html

Historic San Luis Valley water rights owners seek protection (Conejos River drainage) –

Text with Photos by Matt Hilder, The Pueblo Chieftain –

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/971521/historic_slv_water_rights_owners_seek_protection/index.html

“Appearing on your November Ballot: “A Water War” – about the Northern

San Luis Valley (the Closed Basin) – Article by Ed Quillen – Colorado Central

Magazine – 1998 –

http://www.cozine.com/archive/cc1998/00560129.html

~ San Luis Valley Water ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

San Luis Valley Agriculture

Agriculture: Life Blood of the San Luis Valley – Colorado State PDF Site

http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/SLVRC/CROPWATER/2002lifeblood.pdf

Potatoes Past – History - Mountain Valley Produce Site -

http://www.mvproduce.com/papahistory.html

~ San Luis Valley Agriculture ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY~

San Luis Valley Mountains & Rivers

Rio Grande River - Link to: 4 CORNERS RIVERS

Alamosa River, Conejos River Link to: CONEJOS Co CO

Costilla Creek ~ Culebra Creek ~ Link to COSTILLA Co CO

San Juan Mountains – Sangre de Cristo Mountains – Link to 4 CORNERS MOUNTAINS

~ San Luis Valley Mountains & Rivers ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY~

Historic Roads in the San Luis Valley

“The North Branch” of the Old Spanish Trail (1826-1850) was a wagon road running through

the San Luis Valley. The road started in Santa Fe NM, running north to present day Saguache,

west over Cochetopa Pass into the Gunnison Valley. The road continued west to Green River UT

where it connected with the Main Route of the Old Spanish Trail. From there, the road went south

& west to Los Angeles CA.

The Santa Fe Trail (1821-1880’s), ran from western Missouri, to Santa Fe. In the early 1800’s it

was the only major trail coming west. The western end of the Santa Fe Trail and its branches, all

had to cross the Sangre de Cristos Range over mountain passes. In the San Luis Valley there are

five historic passes in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Those going on to CA could link up with the

Old Spanish Trail in the San Luis Valley, at Santa Fe or Abiquiu NM. Thousands of people and their

animals came this way.

~ Historic Roads in the San Luis Valley ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

Legendary Trails of Southern Colorado – Text – Links – Sangres Site –

http://sangres.com/history/trails.htm

"Rediscovering the old route from Santa Fe to Los Angeles” by Martha & Ed Quillen –

COZINE Site –

http://www.cozine.com/archive/cc1994/00040161.html

Old Spanish Trail – Text - MAP – Museum Trail Site -

http://www.museumtrail.org/OldSpanishTrail.asp

Old Spanish Trail – Text – Links – (Photo - Old Spanish Trail Land Form, Near Monte Vista CO)

http://www.museumtrail.org/OSTA.asp

Old Spanish Trail MAPS – OST Association Site –

http://www.oldspanishtrail.org/maps.php

Los Caminos Antiquos – A Colorado Scenic & Historic Byway – Links – Photos – Link to MAP -

http://www.loscaminos.com/

~ Historic Roads in the San Luis Valley ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

San Luis Valley Present Day Passes

COCHETOPA PASS, Also Called "NORTH PASS": Link to SAGUACHE Co CO

CUMBRES PASS – LA MANGA PASS: Link to CONEJOS Co CO

LA VETA PASS: Link to COSTILLA Co CO

PONCHA PASS: Link to CHAFFEE Co CO

WOLF CREEK PASS: Link to MINERAL Co CO

Sangre de Cristo Range – Text – Links – Photos – Scroll to information about the

Mountain Passes – Wikipedia Site -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangre_de_Cristo_Range

Sangre de Cristo MAP – Sky Terrain Site -

http://www.skyterrain.com/map_sangre.html

Colorado Cycling Passes – Links – Photos – Cycle Pass Site -

http://cyclepass.com/t_tpa_co_all_alpha.html

The Pueblo – Historic Pueblo CO – Text – Drawing – Richard Gehling Site -

http://www.geocities.com/peaker59/ThePueblo.html

~ San Luis Valley Present Day Passes ~ San Luis Valley Trails/Roads/Passes ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

San Luis Valley Historic Passes

Links: ~ Cochetopa Pass ~ Costilla Pass ~ Cumbres Pass ~ Elwood Pass ~

Medano Pass ~ Mosca Pass ~ Music Pass ~ Sangre de Cristo Pass ~

COCHETOPA PASS of the San Juan Mountains Link to SAGUACHE Co CO

COSTILLA PASS

25 miles East of the Town of Costilla (on the NM side of the CO/NM

border, just south of San Luis CO) crossing a ridge in the Valley Vidal

Costilla Pass – Cyclepass Site -

http://cyclepass.com/t_pnm_Costilla.html

Costilla Pass – Fat Tire Site -

http://www.fattire.com/Trails/Mountain-Biking/New-Mexico/Red-River-Area/Costilla-Pass/

~ Costilla Pass ~ San Luis Valley Historic Passes ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

CUMBRES PASS – LA MANGA PASS: Link to CONEJOS Co CO

ELWOOD PASS

Also called “Soldiers Road” & “Old Military Road”

Located in the Southern San Juan Mountains, Rio Grande Co CO, begins west of Summitville CO,

continues west, following the San Juan River to Pagosa Springs CO. The US Army used this pass

to carry supplies to the "new" Ft. Lewis at Pagosa Springs, (1878). Mule trains brought supplies

to Ft. Garland (1858) from Ft. Leavenworth KA, and then over Elwood Pass to Pagosa Springs.

Elwood Pass Trail – MAP – Trek Now Site -

http://www.treknow.com/colorado/backroads/southwest/elwood_pass.htm

Elwood Pass – Photo – Flickr Site -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johannamcwaters/386968769/

Wild Iris on Elwood Pass – Photo – Flickr Site -

Elwood Pass – Satellite MAP – Every single place Site -

http://www.everysingleplace.com/Colorado/Gaps/Elwood_Pass_288531.html

~ Elwood Pass ~ San Luis Valley Historic Passes ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

MEDANO PASS

Also called “Pikes Pass, “San Hill Pass” & “Williams Pass”

At Great Sand Dunes Park entrance follow sign to Medano Pass Primitive Road -

Medano Pass Road – Information – Pass Patrol Site -

http://members.aol.com/passpatrol/page13.html

Medano Pass Road - MAP with Text – 4lo Site -

http://www.4lo.com/trails/medano.html

Medano Pass - 4 Wheeling Photos – Andy Leach Site -

http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/subcategory.php?subcategoryid=135&categoryid=16

Medano Pass – Text – Photos – Link to MAP – Trail Damage Site -

http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=53

Trails in the Great San Dunes Area – Information – Photos – Links – Sangres Site –

http://www.sangres.com/np/sanddunes/trails.htm

Sangre de Cristo MAP – Sky Terrain Site -

http://www.skyterrain.com/map_sangre.html

Zebulon W. Pike – Text – Photo of Medano Pass – Sangres Site -

http://www.sangres.com/history/pike.htm

Zebulon M. Pike – Text – Photos – MAP – – Zebulon M. Pike Expedition Web Site –

http://zebulonpike.org/pike-in-colorado.htm

Link to: CONEJOS Co CO for information on Pikes Stockade at Sanford Colorado

~ Medano Pass ~ San Luis Valley Historic Passes ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

MOSCA PASS

At the Great San Dunes National Park, turn right across from the visitor center to

Mosca Pass Trailhead - 6 miles

Mosca Pass was a wagon road, and became the most traveled pass over the Sangre de Cristo Range

Thousands of people, mule trains, freight, and animals came this way on their western trek to California.

After crossing the pass they continued west on roads here in the San Luis Valley that were part of the Old

Spanish Trail. "Taos Lightning" (whiskey) traders used this shorter road over the Sangre de Cristos when

traveling from Taos to St. Louis, thus avoiding the Mexican Government tariff.

Mosca Pass Road – Information – Pass Patrol Site -

http://members.aol.com/passpatrol/page12.html

Bicycling Mosca Pass – Information – MAP – Graph – Photos – Links – Michael Fiebach Site -

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mfiebach/t_p_Mosca.html

View from the Mosca Pass Trail – Photo – Summit Post Site -

http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=218024

Mosca Pass Summary – Photos - Cycle Pass Site -

http://cyclepass.com/t_p_Mosca.html

Mosca Pass Trail Photos – Great San Dunes Site –

http://www.greatsanddunes.net/mosca-pass-trail.htm

Colorado Highways - Scroll to CO 159

http://www.mesalek.com/colo/r140-159.html

Sangre de Cristo Mountains - MAP – Sky Terrain Site -

http://www.skyterrain.com/map_sangre.html

~ Mosca Pass ~ San Luis Valley Historic Passes ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

MUSIC PASS

South of Westcliff CO on Hwy 69 (east side of the Sangre de Cristos) 8.5 miles

Music Pass – Text with Photos – Trip Report by Mike Downey -

http://www.geocities.com/leahcim506/tripreports_musicpass.html

Music Pass Trail – Information – Satellite MAP – Wildernet Site –

http://www.wildernet.com/pages/activity.cfm?actid=020906IO*283hw

Music Pass Trail - MAP – Trek Now Site -

http://www.treknow.com/colorado/backroads/southcentral/music_pass.htm

Music Pass – “High Mountain Trout in the Sangre de Cristo’s – Narrative with Photos – Red Chaser Site –

http://www.redchaser.com/highmountaintrout.htm

East Ridge via Music Pass – Text – MAPS – Photos – Summit Post Site –

http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=165776

Sangre de Cristo MAP – Sky Terrain Site -

http://www.skyterrain.com/map_sangre.html

~ Music Pass ~ San Luis Valley Historic Passes ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

SANGRE DE CRISTO PASS

"North La Veta Pass"

La Veta Pass replaced the Sangre de Cristo Pass

The Route using this pass was shorter when traveling from

from Taos to the Pueblo CO area (upper Arkansas River)

Sangre de Cristo Pass & Taos Trail – History – Karen Mitchell Site -

http://kmitch.com/Huerfano/ftstevens.html

Sangre de Cristo MAP – Sky Terrain Site -

http://www.skyterrain.com/map_sangre.html

Sangre de Cristo Pass – Historic Illustration – Scroll to: CPR Site -

http://www.cprr.org/Museum/Engravings/RR%20Survey%20Scenic.html

~ Sangre de Cristo Pass ~ San Luis Valley Historic Passes ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

Sangre de Cristo Pass – Historic Illustration – Kansas College Site -

http://www.kancoll.org/books/marcy/mar_sang.htm

Sangre de Cristo Pass - Satellite MAP – GeoNames Site –

http://www.geonames.org/5437837/sangre-de-cristo-pass.html

The Summit of Sangre de Cristo Pass – Photo – Rancho Arriba Site -

http://www.ranchoarriba.com/138.htm

On the trail of Juan Bautista de Anza – Article by Phil Carson - Sangre de Cristo Pass History –

CO Central Magazine Site –

http://www.cozine.com/archive/cc1994/00060182.html

Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Preservation Area – Text Links - Pike & San Isabel National Forest Site -

http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/recreation/wilderness/sanc_sangre_wild.shtml

Spanish Peaks Wilderness – Text – Pike & San Isabel National Forest Site -

http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/recreation/wilderness/sanc_spanish_wild.shtml

~ Sangre de Cristo Pass ~ San Luis Valley Historic Passes ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

San Luis Valley Railroads Timeline

1870 Denver & Rio Grande Railroad incorporated – William J. Palmer

introduced the Narrow Gage Track –

1870’s Colorado’s population grew by 500 % – In one Generation the

Railroads brought Colorado from a remote territory to a major mining

& agricultural state

1877 Railroad over “La Veta Pass” to Garland City CO

1878 D&RG Railroad from Garland City into Alamosa CO

1880 D&RG Railroad runs through Southern UTE Land in the San Juan Mountains

1880 Durango CO Established - D&RG Railhead

1880 D&RG Railroad from Alamosa CO to Durango CO

1880 D&RG Railroad from Alamosa CO to Espanola NM “The Chili Line”

1888 Chili Line completed to Santa Fe

1880 Antonito CO Established when D&RG Railroad came to Antonito

1880 Salida CO Incorporated –Division Point for D&G Railroad -

Railroad Hub & Trade Center

~ San Luis Valley Railroads Timeline ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~

1881 D&RG Railroad from Alamosa CO to Monte Vista CO

1881 D&RG Railroad from Salida CO to Villa Grove CO (Bonanza Mining)

1881 Chama NM Established – D&RG Narrow Gage RR comes to Chama NM

Transportation, Logging & Mining Center of Northern NM

1882 D&RG Railroad from Antonito to Cumbres Pass & Durango CO

1882 D&RG Railroad from Monte Vista CO to South Fork CO

1882 South Fork CO Established when the D&RG Railroad reaches South Fork –

Stage Coach Stop on the way to Creede & Lake City - Industry: lumber

& sawmills for mines & railroad construction, also agriculture –

1883 D&RG Railroad Depot opened at Wagon Wheel Gap

1890 Railroad from Alamosa CO to Villa Grove CO – Bonanza Mine

1891 D&RG Railroad to Del Norte CO from Alamosa CO

1909-1910 Shortline Railroad, San Luis Southern, South from Blanca to

San Acacio, Mesita, & Jarosa

1915 San Luis Central Railroad – Monte Vista CO to Center CO

2005 San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad

~ San Luis Valley Railroads Timeline ~ SAN LUIS VALLEY ~