Pueblo—Goodpasture—Junction State 96; 46.8 miles, State 76.  Oil-processed road between Pueblo and Beulah; graded for remainder of distance. Resort accommodations.                 

This route, an alternative to State 96, crosses prairie lands and enters a wooded mountain region, much of it in the eastern part of San Isabel National Forest, in which are the summer houses of many Pueblo residents.

In PUEBLO, 0 miles (4,700 alt., 50,096 pop.) (see Pueblo), State 76 branches (L) from State 96 (see Tour 8b) and proceeds southwest by way of Northern Avenue.

At 1.5 miles is the junction with a dirt road.

Right on this road to the PUEBLO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, 0.3 miles, where Continental Air Lines planes connect daily with Denver, the United Air Lines at Cheyenne, Wyo., and the Transcontinental Western Air Express at Albuquerque, N. M.

State 76 traverses rolling prairie country to BOGGS, 8.5 miles, lying in an uncultivated region of low monotonous hogbacks dotted with scrub cedar. On MULDOON HILL, 14 miles, was made the "discovery" of the Muldoon Stone Man by a certain Conant, a professed geologist. This giant figure, resembling a powerfully built man with unusually long arms and a rudimentary tail, was, according to Conant, the petrified body of a prehistoric man. P. T. Barnum, the famous showman, offered $20,000 for the find. Conant refused the offer, and the publicity resulting from the showman's interest attracted large crowds when the figure was exhibited in Pueblo. Scientists pronounced it authentic, heralding it as the missing link between man and ape, although skeptics, recalling the Cardiff Giant hoax perpetrated by Barnum 10 years before, suspected a partnership between the showman and the geologist. Nevertheless, the "Mysterious Muldoon" fascinated the public and was a money-maker until Conant and his son started East with their exhibit. There, Professor March of Yale, who had exploded the Cardiff hoax, pronounced the second giant a fraud. The promoters soon quarreled over the receipts, and one confessed that he had created the stone man and "planted" it to be "discovered" by Conant. Barnum's part in the affair was never definitely established.

At 21.2 miles is the junction with a dirt road.

Right on this road through sparsely settled country to a junction with another dirt road, 7 miles; R. here 9.5 miles to RED CREEK SPRINGS; in RED CREEK CANYON, 10.5 miles, Indian petroglyphs, chiefly animal figures, appear on the cliffs.

At 22.3 miles is the junction with a dirt road.

Left on this road to the THREE R RANCH, 3.5 miles, one of the largest in the region. In the near-by canyons branching from the St. Charles River are well-preserved Indian petroglyphs scratched on the rock walls. Some undoubtedly are prehistoric, the oldest perhaps dating from the time of the Mound Builders. Animals and reptiles are represented, as well as a scrawled design believed to be a map of the Wet Mountains. The dirt road continues to the junction with US 85 at CROW, 14 miles (see Tour 12c).

The highway descends Rock Creek Hill and crosses the foothills to GOODPASTURE, 23 miles Descending Beulah Hill, the route skirts MOUNT SIGNAL (L), 23.3 miles, a lookout used by Ute Indians and later by the Federal Government as a signal station during Indian raids, when messages were flashed to Pikes Peak and the Spanish Peaks. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Confederate sympathizers made this region their headquarters until dispersed by Federal troops.

At 23.5 miles is the junction with a dirt road.

Right on this road is BEULAH, 1.5 miles (6,205 alt., 275 pop.). The town has several soda springs; near by are large marble deposits.

Right from Beulah a foot trail ascends MIDDLE ST. CHARLES CREEK (good trout fishing) to BAVER-LI LODGE, 6 m, (see below).

State 76 ascends a steep grade along Squirrel Creek to the PINE CREST SILVER Fox FARM (open daily), 25 miles, at the junction with a dirt road.

Left on this road to PUEBLO MOUNTAIN PARK (outdoor fireplaces; tables; shelter), 1.5 miles Southwest from the park 2.5 miles on a road to the BOY SCOUT CAMP BIRCH (open). Right from the camp a charted trail traverses the canyon, which must be scaled by a ladder.

The highway crosses the eastern boundary of San Isabel National Forest (see Tour 8b), 26.7 miles, to the PUEBLO MUNICIPAL CAMPGROUND (outdoor fireplaces; picnic facilities), 28.1 miles This section of the route is known as Squirrel Creek Drive. Prominent against the skyline (L) is OVAL MOUNTAIN; its top is an almost perfect parabola, covered with a dense growth of pine and aspen.

At 28.8 miles is the junction with a dirt road.

Left on this road to the beginning of the CASCADE TRAIL, 200 ft., a foot trail leading to the Pueblo Community House (see below), 12 miles Along the way are many rustic bridges spanning Squirrel Creek. The trail terminates at a campground near the Community House.

The road ascends to the log PUEBLO COMMUNITY HOUSE (meals), 30.8 miles, and the DAVENPORT CAMPGROUND, 32.3 miles, at the junction with State 165 (see Tour 12c), and passes OPHIR CAMPGROUND (fireplaces), 34.8 miles

At 36 miles is the junction with a dirt road.

Left on this road is OPHIR, 4.5 miles (9,800 alt., 100 pop.), a small gold-mining community. Along Ophir Creek are several beaver dams.

State 76 passes BAVER-LI LODGE (meals, cabins, saddle horses), 36.5 miles, and loops outside the boundaries of San Isabel National Forest to BRASSEA RANCH, 41 miles

Right from the ranch on a graveled road along South Hardscrabble Creek to the FLORENCE CAMPGROUND (fireplaces; picnic facilities), 3 miles

The highway turns west to cross the western boundary of San Isabel National Forest, 41.5 miles, and skirts (R) the TOMPKINS CATTLE RANGE, 42 miles, formerly owned by a British syndicate, now the property of the Hatcher Cattle Company, operators of the Three R Ranch near Beulah (see above).

At 46.8 miles is the junction with State 96 (See Tour 8b).