“Civil War in the West” Battle of Glorieta Pass Trail Opening

On June 13^th and 14^th Pecos National Historical Park held a trail dedication celebration and living history encampment to mark the opening of the first public trail within the Glorieta Pass Civil War Battlefield Unit of the park.
The trail project was developed due to the very limited public access and interpretation of the battlefield.  Prior to this trail project, the only public access to the battlefield for the public was by participating in scheduled tours guided by Park Rangers and volunteers. Guided tours offered the only means of on-site interpretation and limited information on the battle is provided at the visitor center.

The trail project involved constructing an interpretive foot trail to allow public access to viewpoints overlooking the battlefield. Stops along the trail contain interpretive signs and trail guide information. With the trail completed, the public is able to visit the battlefield through self-guided and self-scheduled tours. Trailhead parking and associated access road improvement allows for safe and easy access to the site and assist in protecting surrounding resources by channeling visitors along one dedicated pathway.

The commemoration events highlighted the ongoing partnerships contributing to the Civil War trail project. Partners in this project include Friends of Pecos National Historical Park, Glorieta Battlefield Coalition, Civil War Preservation Trust, United Daughters of the Confederacy, New Mexico Confederate Historical Society, Student Conservation Association, Western National Parks Association, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, New Mexico State Parks, NPS Connecting Trails to Parks, Eker Family, Vordermark/Teel Family, Don Alberts, and many other donors and volunteers.