Last updated: May 19, 2026
Place
Saguache Ranger District
NPS Image
Quick Facts
Location:
46525 State Highway 114 Saguache, Colorado 81149.
Significance:
Historic sites on the Old Spanish Trail are within the USFS Saguache Ranger District.
Designation:
USFS Ranger District historic sites on the Old Spanish NHT.
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
1 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
Take a peek into the past! Visitors can access many historic sites on the Old Spanish Trail within the USFS Saguache Ranger District.
Often billed as being like “old Colorado,” the Saguache District is a pristine public land use area that is generally devoid of crowds and provides many recreational opportunities.
Saguache (pronounced Suh-watch) is a Ute Indian word that means, “water at the blue earth.” The Saguache District includes the northernmost headwaters of the Rio Grande on the eastern side of the Continental Divide. Snowmelt from the La Garita Mountains supplies water to not only the Rio Grande River Basin, but also replenishes the large aquifer located below the fertile farmlands of the San Luis Valley.
The Saguache Ranger District manages 515,750 acres of the Rio Grande National Forest stretching from the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the east to the San Juan Mountains and the Continental Divide on the west. The “lower” edges of the district start at about 8000 feet in elevation while the highest peaks in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness scratch the clouds at over 14,000 feet.
Site Information
Location (46525 State Highway 114 Saguache, Colorado 81149.)
Safety Considerations