The Sangre de Cristo Mountains

The Sangre de Cristo's mark the western horizon in Custer County. They rise pretty much straight up from the valley floor. The Rainbow Trail winds along through the San Isabel National Forest at the very foot of the mountains. While there are many hiking trails that cross the mountains east and west, there are no paved roads crossing the mountains in Custer County (there are a couple of 4x4 roads that cross the mountains into the San Luis Valley but they are rated among the worst in Colorado.)