Spanish Peaks
The Spanish Peaks are a pair of prominent mountains located in southwestern Huerfano County, Colorado. The Ute Indians named them Huajatolla meaning "two breasts" or "breasts of the Earth".
The two peaks, West Spanish Peak and East Spanish Peak, are east of, and separate from, the Culebra Range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. West Spanish Peak is the easternmost mountain over in the United States.
The Spanish Peaks were formed by two separate shallow igneous intrusions during the Late-Oligocene epoch of the Paleogene Period. West Spanish Peak is an older quartz syenite. East Spanish Peak is composed of a granodiorite porphyry surrounded by a more aerially-extensive exposure of granite porphyry. The granite porphyry represents the evolved upper portion of the magma chamber while the interior granodiorite porphyry is exposed by erosion at the summit.
The Spanish Peaks were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1976 as one of the best known examples of igneous dikes.
They were an important landmark on the Santa Fe Trail. The mountains can be seen as far north as Colorado Springs, as far west as Alamosa, points south to Raton, New Mexico, and points east of Trinidad.
The Spanish Peaks Wilderness area of encompasses the summits of both Spanish peaks. Hiking is popular in the wilderness area.
