Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Question: Colorado’s famous “Pikes Peak or Bust” rallying cry dates to which historical era?

Answer: From the Pikes Peak Gold Rush (also called the Colorado Gold Rush) era, which ran from roughly 1858 to 1861. After gold was discovered near present-day Denver, an estimated 100,000 prospectors—the “Fifty-Niners”—streamed west toward the Rocky Mountains, many with “Pikes Peak or Bust” painted on their covered wagons. The 14,115-foot peak was the region’s most famous landmark, so it served as a beacon guiding fortune-seekers across the Great Plains.