Entry No. 18 — the Pueblo file — filed under: outdoor-weird
Shrine of the Stations of the Cross (La Mesa de la Piedad y de la Misericordia)
San Luis has been Colorado's oldest town since 1851, and the mesa behind Main Street carries the Passion in bronze: fifteen stations by Huberto Maestas, a local who started casting them in 1988 at two-thirds life size — only the crucifixion and resurrection go full scale. His first-edition maquettes went to Pope John Paul II in 1991 and sit in the Vatican Museum. The dirt switchbacks end at La Capilla de Todos los Santos, a Spanish-Moorish adobe chapel finished in 1997.
The story
San Luis has been quietly sitting at the edge of the Culebra basin since 1851, making it Colorado's oldest continuously inhabited town. But if you look straight up behind Main Street, you’re not looking at standard high-desert grazing land. You’re looking at La Mesa de la Piedad y de la Misericordia—the Hill of Piety and Mercy—where a local sculptor spent years turning a dirt mesa into a quiet, bronze-cast pilgrimage route.
In 1988, San Luis native Huberto Maestas began sculpting the fifteen Stations of the Cross at two-thirds life size. He held back on full scale until the climax: the crucifixion and resurrection scenes near the crest hit 100% scale. His preliminary maquettes caught international attention in 1991 when a set was presented to Pope John Paul II—meaning the originals sit inside the Vatican Museum while the finished heavy metal rests in the dirt above Highway 159. The trail ends at La Capilla de Todos los Santos, a Spanish-Moorish adobe chapel completed in 1997.
What it's like
Park across Main Street at the visitor center and cross over to the dirt trailhead. The path climbs just under a mile along gentle switchbacks with zero shade, so the San Luis Valley wind and sun will hit you full-force—bring water and ditch the flip-flops. As you wind past the bronze stations and memorial busts of Spanish martyrs, the noise from town drops off entirely. The chapel at the top is usually locked unless there's an active service, but you aren't missing much inside; the real payoff is sitting on the adobe chapel steps at golden hour watching the light drain across the Culebra basin. Unless you show up during the heavy Good Friday pilgrimage crowd, you’ll likely have the entire mesa to yourself.
The move: Climb the switchbacks station by station at golden hour, then sit on the chapel steps and watch the light drain out of the Culebra basin before dinner in town.
📍 Before you go The trailhead sits at the base of the mesa right off Main Street (CO-159) in the center of San Luis, with parking across the road by the visitor center. The dirt path climbs just under a mile in gentle switchbacks but is fully exposed high desert — bring water and real shoes. The chapel at the top is often locked outside of services; the stations, the Spanish Martyrs memorial busts, and the Culebra basin views are the real draw. Good Friday brings a genuine pilgrimage crowd; most other days you may have the mesa to yourselves.
- 📍 San Luis
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Trailhead off Main St (CO-159) at the base of the mesa, across from the San Luis visitor center, San Luis, CO 81152
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Cano's Castle — Trade deep Catholic monumentality on the mesa for an outsider-art castle built out of recycled beer cans 33 miles west in Antonito.
- Indiana Jones Bed & Breakfast — Follow up Vatican-blessed bronze sculptures with a stop at the Antonito Victorian home featured in the opening chase of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
- Uptop Ghost Town — Pair Colorado's oldest town with an abandoned 1870s narrow-gauge railroad village perched at 9,382 feet over Old La Veta Pass.
Good to know
Where do I park and how do I find the trail?
Park in the lot across from the San Luis visitor center on Main Street (CO-159). The trailhead sits directly across the road at the base of the mesa.
Is the chapel at the top open to the public?
La Capilla de Todos los Santos stays locked outside of scheduled religious services, but the outdoor trail, bronze stations, and mesa views are accessible daily.
How difficult is the walk up the mesa?
It's roughly three-quarters of a mile to a mile of dirt switchbacks on a gentle grade. It's an easy-to-moderate walk, but the trail is fully exposed to high-desert sun and high-altitude wind.
When is the best time to visit?
Late afternoon into golden hour offers the best light over the valley and cooler hiking temps. If you want silence, avoid Good Friday, which draws major regional pilgrimage crowds.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: uncovercolorado.com · coloradocentralmagazine.com · Atlas Obscura · colorado.com · alamosa.org · sah-archipedia.org
last checked: 2026-06-11