Spanish Peaks

The Spanish Peaks are twin mountains in southern Colorado whose paired summits rise prominently above the plains east of the Culebra Range. Known to the Comanche as Huajatolla or Wa-ha-toy-yah, meaning “double mountain,” they long served as a major landmark, including for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail, for whom they were often the first view of the Rocky Mountains. East Spanish Peak reaches 12,688 feet and West Spanish Peak 13,631 feet, and both stand higher than any point in the United States farther east. Geologically, they are shallow igneous intrusions famed for their dikes, a significance recognized in 1976 when they became a National Natural Landmark.

Colorado · United States