Historical Marker
Mount Taylor
One of the great volcanic cones of the Colorado Plateau, Mount Taylor rises to an elevation of 11,301 feet and last erupted some 2 million years ago. Numerous fissure eruptions since that time and as recently as about 1,200 years ago have created lava flows that form malpais or badlands along portions of this route. Elevation here 6,550 feet.
In the early 1800s, New Mexico became an important center for trade along the Santa Fe Trail, which connected Missouri to Santa Fe. The trail was used by traders, trappers, and settlers to transport goods and supplies across the frontier.