Glenwood Springs, Colorado
Two Rivers Park
740 Devereux Rd.
GPS coordinates: 39.55155,-107.3332
Take a photo of your rally flag and motorcycle with the above image.*

Wildland firefighters are heroes in Colorado and the West. The Storm King 14 Memorial is to honor the fourteen firefighters who were fighting the South Canyon Fire on July 6, 1994, and caught in a firestorm on Storm King Mountain just west of Glenwood. The monument includes a statue of firefighters and a photograph and biography of each firefighter who lost their life. Those that perished include hotshots and smoke jumpers from Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Colorado.

The Storm King Mountain Memorial Trail closely follows the actual path the firefighters hiked to fight the blaze. Plaques and memorials line the trail explaining the events and paying homage to those who fell.

You can access the trailhead (39.57389,-107.43454) by traveling west from Glenwood Springs on I-70 for 5 miles. Take Exit 109, the Canyon Creek Exit, then immediately turn east and drive to the end of the frontage road to the trailhead.

The strenuous hike has two sections. The first section steeply climbs about 700 vertical feet over the 1-1/2 miles from the parking lot to the observation point with a good view of the entire field where the fire took place.

The second section drops into a valley about 170 feet below the observation point, then begins a 500 foot vertical climb over the next half mile and leads to the sites where firefighters died. The footpath, marked only by rock cairns, is not maintained. Its rough condition is intended as a tribute to firefighters and the challenging conditions under which they work.

Hiking all the way out to the ridge and the two memorial sites is about four miles roundtrip with about 1,300 feet of total elevation gain. On a sunny day, bring water.

Also in the area: Ride I-70 through Glenwood Canyon, east of Glenwood Springs. It is one of the most scenic stretches of Interstate in the country, especially westbound in the hour after dawn.

Hike to Hanging Lake from the trailhead along I-70 in Glenwood Canyon. The one mile trail climbs about 1000 feet, but the view at the lake is worth the effort.

Ride CO-133 south of Carbondale to Marble along the Crystal River. Visit the marble quarry at Marble, the source of the marble for the Lincoln Memorial. Continue on over McClure Pass to Paonia.

Soak in Glenwood Hot Springs.

Visit Doc Holliday's Grave in Linwood Cemetery (39.53954,-107.32043). Head uphill east of Bennett Ave between 11th and 13th Streets. Sometimes used as a bonus location in the Iron Butt Rally.

Take a raft trip on the Colorado River.

Visit the Frontier Historical Museum and the Glenwood Railroad Museum.

There's a lot to do here!

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*If motorcycle, rally flag and above image can't be in the same photo, submit two photos: one with rally flag and above image, and another with rally flag and motorcycle nearby. If the site is CLOSED or inaccessible, submit a photo with rally flag and motorcycle nearby, along with an explanation.

Tour of Honor-Colorado is sponsored by Randy Bishop.