Serpents Trail

The Serpents Trail, also known as the Trail of the Serpents and the Serpentine Trail, is a trail within the Colorado National Monument in Mesa County, Colorado, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1]

Not to be confused with the Serpent Trail, a long distance footpath in England, United Kingdom..

Serpents Trail
Serpents Trail, September 2017
Serpents Trail is located in Colorado
Serpents Trail
Serpents Trail is located in the United States
Serpents Trail
Nearest cityGrand Junction, Colorado
Coordinates39°1′53″N 108°38′11″W
Built1921
ArchitectJohn Otto, J. B. Claybaugh
MPSColorado National Monument MPS
NRHP reference No.94000307
Added to NRHPApril 21, 1994[1]

Description
Serpents Trail, unknown date

The trail was built by the visionary John Otto, who began the campaign to establish the national monument. The trail was, in fact, a road from Grand Junction through No Thoroughfare Canyon to the rimrock near Cold Shivers Point, with an elevation gain of nearly 1,100 feet (340 m) over 2.5 miles (4.0 km). From Cold Shivers Point the road proceeded at a gentler grade for 4 miles (6.4 km) to Glade Park. Otto began his survey in 1911 with the help of civil engineer J.F. Sleeper. Otto's grand plan was to link Grand Junction to Moab, Utah by a scenic road to be part of a transcontinental road system. Construction began in 1912 and continued sporadically to 1921, when Mesa County took the project over. Engineer J.B. Claybaugh completed the project in 1924.[2]

The construction of the Rim Rock Drive destroyed portions of the Serpents Trail. A 1.6-mile (2.6 km) portion has been preserved as a hiking trail.[3] During the 1930s the Park Service considered upgrading the trail to a higher standard of road, but dropped the project. Only the relatively gentle upper section of the trail was incorporated into Rim Rock Drive in 1939–40.[2]

The trail was added to the National Register of Historic Places April 21, 1994[1]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. R. Laurie and Thomas H. Simmons (January 1994). National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Serpents Trail (pdf). National Park Service.
  3. "Serpents Trail". List of Classified Structures. National Park Service. December 13, 2008.
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