Glorieta Pass, a natural gateway through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, was a cultural crossroads through which many people traveled. Hunter gatherers, traders, explorers, soldiers, Santa Fe Trail wagons, and ranchers have all made their mark in this valley. Pecos Pueblo, once home to 2,000 people, was built high on a ridge overlooking the Pecos River. Later the Spanish would come in and build a large mission church. Drought, disease, migration, and raids by the Comanches took a toll on the Pecos region. After that countless wagon trains passed through the area on the Santa Fe Trail and even a civil war battle occurred in the area, the Battle of Glorieta Pass. Ranchers came into the region in the early 1900’s. Present day as one visits the park you can imagine the smell of incense in the church, Spanish swords and armor clanging, the rumble of wagons, artillery shells bursting, Indians trading, and cattle grazing.
