Santa Fe Trail

States: Colorado and New Mexico
Length: 565.0 mi / 909.3 km
Time to Allow: 12 hours to drive the entire byway

One of America's first great trade routes, the Santa Fe Trail was critical to our country's westward expansion. Visit historic sites and landmarks like Bent's Fort, Trinidad, Raton Pass, Cimarron, Fort Union, Pecos, Point of Rocks, and Santa Fe. Enjoy spectacular scenery, from rugged mountains to the plains.

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  History on Colorado’s Santa Fe Trail

  Updated Jan 16, 2013 in Getaways: Byways on a Budget and Goodyear’s Top 50 Scenic, Comfortable Drives

  Experience the Old West as you have never done before by taking a trip along the Santa Fe Trail in Colorado. Your car will become a time machine as you become immersed in the history and culture found on this fascinating byway.

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  Black Kettle and the Sand Creek Massacre by the Santa Fe Trail

  Feb 13, 2012 in The American Civil War, The American Civil War: Battles and Beyond, and The American Civil War: Lives and Legends

  A short distance from the historic Santa Fe Trail in Colorado, a tragic encounter between Native American tribes and Civil War troops is commemorated at the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site.

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• 3-Day Trip: Santa Fe Trail Tour
  (New Mexico)

  The Santa Fe Tour begins in Santa Fe, New Mexico and heads east over to Clayton, near the borders of Texas and Oklahoma. With a little back...

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  1-Day Trip: Santa Fe Trail Historical Tour
  (Colorado)

  This tour begins at Bent's Old Fort and follows the trail westward towards Trinidad. Let history and adventure unfold as you explore the Santa Fe...

See all 2 Road Trips for Santa Fe Trail

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The following byways are part of the designated byway Santa Fe Trail:

• Santa Fe Trail - New Mexico
• Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway - Colorado