2019 Summer Guide

World Journal 2019 Summer Guide page 9
Take a
Scenic Drive
Explore the alpine flora
and panoramic views of
the Sangre de Cristo
mountain range from
Farley Overlook.
many working ranches and cattle may be in
the road. Turn left and go east on Highway
160 for about 100 yards and turn right on
CR 410. Take CR 410 until you reach Highway
12 again just north of La Veta.
Detours: Take Highway 69 from Gardner
to Walsenburg. Or, follow South Oak
Creek Canyon. When on CR 550, before
reaching Gardner, turn south on CR 560 to
CR 540 to CR 531 to CR 530 which will lead
you to Yellowstone Road.
cameron mine
Operated by Colo. Fuel & Iron (CF&I),
the company town was built in 1907 and included
25 homes, a store, and post office
which named the camp Farr. Coal production
ended in 1945.
You can see ruins and tailings as you
drive along the road. You’ll also see a stairway
left from the former YMCA camp at
Farr, built by Rockefeller.
Take CR 340 (Bear Creek) from the west
end of Walsenburg, go south one mile. From
La Veta take Moore St./CR 358 east nine
miles to CR 343, turn left on CR 340.
Farley memorial Wildflower
overlook
One of the finest displays of alpine
wildflowers is yours to view this summer at
the top of Cuchara Pass. The John B. Farley
Wildflower Overlook in the San Isabel National
Forest puts on an amazing show of
color, covering a whole mountain meadow.
More than a dozen kinds of wildflowers
create a beautiful setting so don’t be surprised
to see a wedding going on, especially
in July.
To get to the Farley Memorial Wildflower
Overlook, take U.S. Highway 12
(Highway of Legends) from La Veta south
for 17 miles to the top of Cuchara Pass. Turn
left onto the dirt road marked Cordova Pass
Road (CR 364). Go about one-half mile and
look for the Farley Overlook sign. Park your
car before the fenced area enclosing the
overlook.
uptop Ghost town
Located at the summit of
Old La Veta Pass, the Uptop
Ghost Town has the original
1877 depot museum, dance hall
and chapel-by-the-wayside. Located
15 minutes west of La
Veta. Take Hwy. 160 to CR 443,
the dirt road climbs to 9,000’.
Once you reach the summit you
can continue and rejoin Hwy.
160 on the west side of La Veta
Pass, or go back the way you
came.
A beautiful loop drive on
maintained county roads. Be aware, the
only restroom on this route will be in Gardner,
if the store is open.
Go west on Highway 160 over La Veta
Pass. About a mile west of the pass, turn
right on CR 572 (a.k.a. Pass Creek Road).
You will drive by the subdivision of Paradise
Acres. CR 572 will merge with and become
CR 570. The road winds along aspen
groves and Pass Creek flows next to the road
at times. Sheep Mountain and Little Sheep
Mountain dominate your views to the
east.Continue until the intersection with CR
550 at Malachite. Turn right (east) and follow
550 until Highway 69. Follow Highway
69 east to Gardner. Drive east on Highway
69 for 8 miles until County Road 520 (aka
Yellowstone Road) branches off to the south,
with Badito on the north of Highway 69.
A quarter mile on CR 520 is a Historical
Marker for the Taos Trail. Drive the length
of CR 520 until Highway 160. You will see
photos by Renee Rinehart
Uptop Ghost Town contains several buildings including the Chapel-By-
The-Wayside. Experience early Colorado history and railroad history of
Old La Veta Pass from 1877 to 1962,
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