Location: Southeast corner of Colorado, from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Holly, Colorado on the Kansas border Length: 565 miles (910 km) Time To Allow: 12 hours Description/Highlights/Points of Interest Encounter the Santa Fe Trail, one of America's first great trade routes. The trail (1821-1880) was also critical to the westward expansion of the United States. Discover an undisturbed, pristine landscape while observing a wide diversity of wildlife habitats. Sites and landmarks include trading posts such as Bent's Old Fort, stage stops, pictographs, the longest dinosaur tracks in North America, Raton Pass, Pecos, Santa Fe and Fort Union National Monument, where you can see wagon ruts worn into the land over 150 years ago. Suggested Itinerary Begin your tour at Bent's Old Fort, and follow the trail westward towards Trinidad. The fort is located on Hwy 194, seven miles (11.2 km) east of La Junta, Colorado and 13 miles (21 km) west of Las Animas. Bent's Old Fort is a reconstruction of Bent's Fort, which was originally built in the 1830s. The fort played an important role as a trading post for trappers and the Plains Indians and also as supply depot during the Mexican-American War. Today, it is a federally-designated National Historic Site. For Santa Fe Trail travelers heading south, the changing horizon from plains to mountains was a major milestone on their journey. One of their guiding landmarks was the distant Spanish Peaks, which came into view along this section of the trail. A short walk up the side of a bluff gives visitors an excellent view of the Rocky Mountains and surrounding prairie, much like what the early travelers saw. To reach the Sierra Vista Overlook, drive southwest from La Junta on Highway 350 for 13 miles (21 km). Turn right (north) at Highway 71 for 1/2 mile (.8 km), then turn left (west) to the parking lot. The Trinidad History Museum complex is operated by the Colorado Historical Society and houses five attractions in one location. Visitors to the site should not miss the Santa Fe Trail Museum, Baca House, Bloom Mansion, Historic Gardens or the Bookstore. The museum is located in Trinidad at 300 East Main Street.