National Historic Landmark

Pikes Peak

Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
66000245

About this property

Pikes Peak or America's Mountain is an ultra-prominent fourteener of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. Pikes Peak's summit, with an elevation of 14,115 ft (4,302 m) above sea level, is the easternmost fourteener in the United States. Pikes Peak is in Pike National Forest, Colorado, with the base located in the town of Manitou Springs, 10 miles (16 km) west of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County, United States. Zebulon Pike, a commissioned officer serving for the United States Army, received an order in 1806 by Thomas Jefferson to explore the Louisiana Purchase. Later that winter he attempted to climb the mountain, but the climb was abandoned, possibly due to the mountain's cold weather. The first successful documented hike was by the geologist and botanist Edwin James during his expedition on July 15, 1820. During the Pikes Peak gold rush, the mountain was named in honor of Zebulon Pike in several newspapers, creating widespread popularity. The song "America the Beautiful" (originally called "America") has been associated with Pikes Peak for about a century. In 1893, the visiting professor and poet Katharine Lee Bates taught a summer course in western Colorado. Bates, who had been suffering from depression, was inspired to write "America the Beautiful", initially titled "Pikes Peak", soon after scaling to the summit in 1893.

Location

Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado
38.84112, -105.04457

Categories

EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Pikes Peak

This page lists Pikes Peak. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Eastholme
Industrial
5.6 mi
Miramont
Industrial
6.7 mi
Bridge over Fountain Creek
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6.7 mi
Manitou Springs Historic District
Listed
6.9 mi
Manitou Bathhouse
Industrial
6.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Pikes Peak listed on the National Register?

Pikes Peak was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Pikes Peak?

Pikes Peak is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Pikes Peak a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Pikes Peak has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Pikes Peak?

The period of significance for Pikes Peak is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Pikes Peak?

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