Entry No. 6 — the Pueblo file — filed under: outdoor-weird
Devil's Stairsteps
Around 25 million years ago, magma from the West Spanish Peak intrusion shot into cracks radiating through the surrounding sandstone — over 400 of them, like spokes on a wheel. The soft rock eroded; the hard granodiorite fins stayed. The Stairsteps are the showpiece: parallel slabs climbing out of the prairie at a dead-vertical 90 degrees, crossing Highway 12 mid-march. Local legend says the Devil climbed them out of the underworld to survey his takeover before God kicked him back down. Golden eagles and prairie falcons work the wall now.
The move: Drive the Highway of Legends south out of La Veta near golden hour, pull off across from the Stairsteps, and pass the binoculars back and forth counting raptors riding thermals off the wall.
📍 Before you go The dike crosses CO-12 about six to seven miles south of La Veta, midway to Cuchara, and viewing is from roadside pullouts directly across from the wall — the highway is narrow and winding, so park fully off the pavement and watch for fast traffic. The surrounding land is Forest Service with no fees, facilities, or maintained trails, so treat it as a look-and-photograph stop, not a scramble; the formation is fully visible from the car. CO-12 toward Cucharas Pass can be snowpacked in winter. Pair it with Goemmer Butte just west of town, Profile Rock to the east, and lunch in La Veta.
- 📍 La Veta
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: CO Hwy 12 (Highway of Legends), ~6-7 miles south of La Veta, CO 81055
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4
last checked: 2026-06-11