Colorado State Highway 12

State Highway 12 marker

State Highway 12
Highway of Legends

Map of southern Colorado with SH 12 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by CDOT
Length: 70.39 mi[1] (113.28 km)
Major junctions
North end: US 160 in La Veta
East end: I-25 in Trinidad
Location
Counties: Huerfano, Las Animas
Highway system
Colorado State Highways
← SH 11SH 13 →

State Highway 12 (SH 12), also known as the Highway of Legends, in the U.S. state of Colorado is a mountainous state highway through the Rocky Mountains in southern Colorado. The route travels from La Veta through the mountains to Trinidad. It is included in the Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways system and runs through the San Isabel National Forest.

Route description

State Highway 12 begins at the junction with U.S. Highway 160 north of La Veta. It heads southward through that town before entering the San Isabel National Forest and passing through Cuchara, near the Spanish Peaks Wilderness. It then crosses Cucharas Pass into Las Animas County.

SH 12 heads through Monument Park and turns eastward near Stonewall. It then passes eastward along the Purgatoire River through Weston, Segundo, Valdez, Cokedale, and Jansen. It then ends in Trinidad at Interstate 25.

History

The route was established in the 1920s, beginning at Stonewall at SH 111 east to Trinidad and La Junta. The Trinidad-La Junta section was replaced by US 350 in 1957 and the route was paved from Weston to Trinidad in 1939. The entire route was paved by 1946. In 1954, SH 111 was changed, leaving SH 12's terminus without another state highway.[2] In 1970, SH 12 was extended to US 160, and the segment was paved a year later. The route was designated a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway in 1989.[3] In August 2004, Interstate 25 was disconnected from SH 12, leaving SH 12's terminus at Nevada Avenue in Trinidad.

Major intersections

u

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
HuerfanoLa Veta0.0000.000 US 160
Las AnimasTrinidad70.485113.435 I-25 (Exit 13) / US 85 / US 87 / US 160 – Denver, Albuquerque
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. 1 2 "Segment list for SH 12". Retrieved 2007-05-12.
  2. ↑ Salek, Matthew E. (2010-01-30). "Colorado Routes 1-19". Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  3. ↑ "Scenic Byways at 20" (PDF). Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
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