Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway
Pike's Peak, CO

Pike's Peak was named after Lt. Zebulon Montgomery Pike, who discovered the mountain in 1806. Lt. Pike originally named the mountain "Grand Peak", but cartographers labeled it "Pike's Peak" on their maps. Lt. Pike tried to climb the mountain but was cut off by a November storm. Pike claimed "No one will ever reach the summit."

Edwin James was the first to prove Pike wrong, climbing the mountain in 1820. Julia Archibald Holmes became the first woman to reach the summit when she made her climb in 1858. In 1893, Katherine Lee Bates, a teacher and author, was inspired by the view atop Pike's Peak and wrote the lyrics to "America the Beautiful".

Today the summit can be reached by cog railway, car, or on foot. The majestic peak is often white-capped with snow, and the scenery is a Rocky Mountain wonderland.