Silver Cliff in Custer County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
The Men Who Explored with Zebulon Pike
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 25, 2025
1. The Men Who Explored with Zebulon Pike Marker
The Arkansas River, South Park, Grape Creek, the wet mountain valley and crossed the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the winter of 1806-1807.
Baroney Vasquez Dr. John Robinson Sgt. William Meek Cpl. Jeremiah Jackson John Brown Jacob Carter Thomas Dougherty William Gordon Hugh Menaugh Theodore Miller John Mountjoy Alexander Roy Patrick Smith John Sparks Freegift Stoute
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Exploration. A significant historical year for this entry is 1806.
Location. 38° 8.173′ N, 105° 26.71′ W. Marker is in Silver Cliff, Colorado, in Custer County. It is on East Main Street (State Highway 96) just east of Fleetwood Street, on the right when traveling east. The marker is located on the west side of the Silver Cliff Museum grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 606 East Main Street, Westcliffe CO 81252, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically,
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Silver Cliff Museum (here, next to this marker); Silver Cliff Mine (approx. Ό mile away); Seeking the Lights (approx. Ό mile away); The Spirit of '76 Century Time Capsule (approx. 1.2 miles away); Westcliff School (approx. 1.2 miles away); For God and Country (approx. 1.2 miles away); Hope Lutheran Church (approx. 1.3 miles away); The Wolff Hotel (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Silver Cliff.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. Pike Expedition (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: The Pike Expedition (July 15, 1806 July 1, 1807) was a military party sent out by President Thomas Jefferson and authorized by the United States government to explore the south and west of the recent Louisiana Purchase. Roughly contemporaneous with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, it was led by United States Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike, Jr. who was promoted(Submitted on August 20, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)to captain during the trip. It was the first official American effort to explore the western Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains in present-day Colorado. Pike contacted several Native American tribes during his travels and informed them that the U.S. now claimed their territory. The expedition documented the United States' discovery of Tava which was later renamed Pikes Peak in honor of Pike.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 25, 20252. The Men Who Explored with Zebulon Pike MarkerThe marker is mounted at eye-level on the north face of a large boulder.Pike tried to climb the peak, hoping to get a view of the surrounding area to record on maps, the 14,000-foot summit. With winter threatening, Pike pressed onward up the Arkansas, and on December 7 the party reached Royal Gorge, a spectacular canyon on the Arkansas at the base of the Rocky Mountains.
2. Zebulon Pike Expedition Encountering the Wet Mountain Valley in Winter January 16-27, 1807.
Excerpt: 17th January, Saturday the woods from the skirts of the mountains appeared to be at no great distance, I thought proper to march for it; in the middle of said prairie, crossed the creek, which now bore east. Here we all got our feet wet. The night commenced(Submitted on August 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)extremely cold. When we halted at the woods, at eight o'clock, for encampment; after getting fires made, we discovered that the feet of nine of our men were frozen, and to add to the misfortune, of both of those whom we called hunters among the number. This night we had no provision. Reaumer's thermometer stood at 18-½° below 0. (-10° F). Pike JournalPhotographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 25, 20253. The Men Who Explored with Zebulon Pike MarkerThe marker is located on the right/west side of the Silver Cliff Museum.They were camped at Horn Creek for five days and forced to leave 2 men there with frost-bitten feet [later rescued]. They were in the Wet Mountain Valley for 11 days dealing with cold, snow and lack of food and provisions.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 18, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 119 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 20, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
