Sangre de Cristo MountainsThe Sangre de Cristo Mountains (Spanish for "Blood of Christ") are the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They are located in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in the United States. The mountains run from Poncha Pass in South-Central Colorado, trending southeast and south, ending at Glorieta Pass, southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Santa Fe TrailThe Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, which at that time was a provincial capital of Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell and Joseph R. Walker, who departed from the Boonslick region along the Missouri River, the trail served as a vital commercial highway until 1880, when the railroad arrived in Santa Fe.
Interstate 25Interstate 25 (I-25), also known as the Pan-American Freeway, is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 stretches from I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mexico (approximately 25 miles [40 km] north of El Paso, Texas) to I-90 in Buffalo, Wyoming (approximately 60 miles [97 km] south of the Montana–Wyoming border).
Santa Fe, New MexicoCapital city of New Mexico, United StatesState capital in New Mexico, United StatesSanta Fe ( ; Spanish:; Spanish for 'Holy Faith') is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-most populous city in the state with a population of 87,505 as of the 2020 census, while the Santa Fe metropolitan area has an estimated 158,000 people.
New MexicoU.S. stateState in the United StatesNew Mexico is a landlocked state in the Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also borders the state of Texas to the east and southeast, Oklahoma to the northeast, and shares an international border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora to the south.
Canadian RiverThe Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River. Entirely within the United States, it is about 1,026 miles (1,651 km) long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about 47,700 square miles (124,000 km). The Canadian is sometimes referred to as the South Canadian River to differentiate it from its tributary the North Canadian River.
ColoradoU.S. stateState in the United StatesColorado is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is part of the Southwestern United States, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas to the east, and Oklahoma to the southeast.
Raton, New MexicoRaton ( rə-TONE) is a city in and the county seat of Colfax County in northeastern New Mexico, United States. The city is located just south of Raton Pass. The city is also located about 6.5 miles south of the New Mexico–Colorado border and 85 miles west of Oklahoma. At the 2020 census, its population was 6,041.
Trinidad, ColoradoTrinidad is the home rule municipality that is the county seat of and the most populous municipality in Las Animas County, Colorado, United States. The population was 8,329 as of the 2020 census. Trinidad lies 21 mi (34 km) north of Raton, New Mexico, and 195 mi (314 km) south of Denver. It is on the historic Santa Fe Trail. The city is home to Trinidad State College, the oldest community college in Colorado.
Arkansas RiverThe Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas River Valley. The headwaters derive from the snowpack in the Sawatch and Mosquito mountain ranges. It flows east into Kansas and finally through Oklahoma and Arkansas, where it meets the Mississippi River.
Mountain passA mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both human and animal migration throughout history. At lower elevations it may be called a hill pass. A mountain pass is typically formed between two volcanic peaks or created by erosion from water or wind. A narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills is called defile.
Kansas City, MissouriCity in Missouri, United StatesCity in Missouri, United StatesKansas City, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by both population and area. It is located on the Missouri River at its confluence with the Kansas River, within Jackson, Clay, Platte and Cass counties. It is the 37th-most populous city in the United States and sixth-most populous city in the Midwest, with a population of 508,090 at the 2020 census.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.