Location: Traverses Central Colorado's San Isabel National Forest beginning in Pueblo, CO Length: 103 miles (168 km) Time To Allow: 3.5 hours Description/Highlights/Points of Interest The history of the Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway is like a microcosm of the history of the American West. It tells of American Indians, trappers, explorers, traders, settlers, miners, farmers and growing cities. The area is unique for its still intact high-country ranches and unspoiled meadows. The area also has many famous "firsts" – the first planned auto recreation in a National Forest, Colorado's first colony and some of the first Baptist and Lutheran churches in the state. Suggested Itinerary This itinerary assumes visitors are beginning the byway in the east from the town of Pueblo. Visitors beginning the byway from the west (the town of Westcliffe) can follow the itinerary by starting from the bottom of the list and moving up! Begin your adventure at the Pueblo Museum in the town of Pueblo, where you'll learn about the interaction of several different cultures: American Indian, Mexican and American. Fascinating artifacts, colorful murals and interesting stories bring the history of the Pueblo area to life. Located on Highway 96 at mile marker 26.4 is the town of Wetmore, site of several early American settlements. Over 150 years ago, buckskin-clad French traders, scrappy American farmers and fur traders lived in nearby settlements. In the 1830s, three French ex-trappers built a fort on Adobe Creek to facilitate trade with the Ute Indians. It was called Buzzard's Roost, or Maurice's Fort, after Maurice LeDuc. Later settlements in the area included Hardscrabble in 1844 and Wetmore in the late 1870s. Heading west past Silvercliff, you'll see Colorado's beautiful Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Miners, ranchers and modern-day motorists have all marveled at this breathtaking view of the Sangre de Cristos. This 50-mile (80 km) stretch of mountains includes 22 peaks that are over 13,000 feet (3,962 m) in elevation. The Westcliff Schoolhouse, located in the town of Westcliffe, was built in 1891 and dedicated on Christmas Eve of the same year. No one knows why the school name, still visible above the front doors as 'Westcliff,' was spelled without the 'e.'