Explore the Purgatoire
River & Trout Trail
This section of the Purgatoire
River provided Santa Fe Trail
travelers a last chance for rest and
repairs under the cool canopy of
cottonwoods before the arduous
journey over
Raton Pass into
what is now
New Mexico.
The route was
favored by
trappers and
mountain men
and teemed with
wildlife.
this is the
very place where
Stephen Watts
Kearny and the “Army of the
West” rested on their expedition to
conquer Santa Fe in 1846.
The Army of the West included:
1,600 men
1,556 wagons
459 horses
3,658 draft mules
14,904 cattle and oxen
The army traveled from
Leavenworth, Missouri and followed
the Santa Fe Trail Mountain
Branch. The route had available
water and Bent’s Fort to replenish
their supplies. They left Bent’s Fort
on August 2, 1846, followed by a
train of wagons. They rested here
along the Purgatoire River while
road crews went ahead improving
the trail across Raton Pass as best
they could. They were forced to
use ropes to raise the wagons over
rocks. In the descent, the narrow
trail wreaked havoc destroying
many wagons. The pass was greatly
improved by the expedition.
Reclamation forRecreation
In 2013 the Purgatoire River
Anglers Chapter of Trout Unlimited
partnered with Trinidad to begin
reclamation of the Trout Trail.
They reseeded and planted willow
and sedge along the newly created
riparian benches. They completed
the final phase of the project with
the stocking of several hundred
catchable rainbow trout.
Please Avoid the Redds
Trout will spawn in gravel
located in shallow, faster moving
water referred to as riffles. Areas
where the trout spawn are known
as “redds” which are saucer-shaped
nests dug by the female in the
clean gravel bottom of the streams.
Enjoy your fishing experience but
stay away from spawning fish so
they have a chance to repopulate.
Reproduction may not occur
during low flows of the river or if
areas of the river go dry.
• Avoid fishing, walking, or wading,
in shallow gravel bars near islands.
• Don’t cast to spawning fish.
• Politely help inform other anglers
about trout spawning behaviors.
Spawning fish hug to a site and
refuse to move even if disturbed.
Large numbers concentrate in
shallow waters and small gravel
bottoms. They are sometimes
darker colored than normal or
their bellies may be dark instead of
a light, silvery color.
38
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New legends magazine