San Luis, CO

united states

San Luis is Colorado's oldest town, founded in 1851 in the remote San Luis Valley near the New Mexico border. Located at nearly 8,000 feet elevation, it's reached via US 160 from Alamosa (35 miles east) or Pagosa Springs to the west, with Highway 142 providing north-south connections. The high desert setting means cold winters and limited services, so plan fuel stops carefully. This Hispanic settlement predates Colorado statehood by decades.