Travel Guide Glorieta

Located at the southern tip of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the Santa Fe Trail, Glorieta is home to fewer than 450 people. Nearby Glorieta Pass (alt. 2,286 m) was a major strategic location during the American Civil War. From March 26 to 28, 1862, it was the scene (along with Apache Canyon, 4 miles southwest on Route 66) of a battle that pitted about 1,100 Confederate soldiers against 1,400 Union men. The Union victory at Glorieta Pass marked the turning point of the war in New Mexico and halted the Confederate incursion into the Southwest. Glorietta Pass is the highest point on Route 66.