Last Chance: Highway History and the Colorado Birding Trail

Last Chance can be understood through three distinct travel-related points of interest: the development of its roads, Plum Bush Creek Bridge, and its listing on the Colorado Birding Trail. Together, they represent different aspects of the area. The roads and bridge lead to its transportation history; the trail adds wildlife watching as a separate area of interest. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip to Last Chance, you can first consider which of these points of interest matters to your plans. Another landmark is the rest area at the intersection of U.S. Highway 36 and CO 71.

Roads and Bridge

Last Chance was founded in 1925 at the intersection of State Road 102, now U.S. Highway 36, and State Road 71, now Highway 71. In 1926, a dairy, a store, and a gas station opened. This sequence of years distinguishes two stages in the area's early history: first, its founding at the road junction, then the opening of the three businesses the following year. The former road names can thus be linked to the current names of the highways. Plum Bush Creek Bridge is located on U.S. Highway 36 at milepost 138.16 in the vicinity of Last Chance. It is associated with the development of this road as an important tourist and commercial route connecting Denver and Colorado's Eastern Plains with communities in Kansas and the Midwest. To understand the bridge's significance, both its precise location relative to the highway and milepost and the road's regional role are important.

Colorado Birding Trail

Last Chance is listed in the Eastern Plains section under the Greater Prairie-Chicken Trail of the Colorado Birding Trail. The trail's routes connect wildlife-watching sites via designated driving routes. For your trip planning, it is helpful to distinguish between a place listing and the route network: Last Chance is associated with the named trail section, while the designated driving routes connect wildlife-watching sites. This provides a nature-related point of reference for planning. If you are interested in wildlife watching, the trail name is a specific starting point for further planning.

Getting Your Bearings at the Intersection

There is a rest area at the southwest corner of the intersection of U.S. Highway 36 and CO 71, with a small town park in the background. You can use the rest area at this named intersection as a landmark. Check local conditions before visiting if this spot is important to your plans; conditions may change.

The Name Last Chance

The name Last Chance is said to date back to a time when the area was the only place for many miles in every direction where travelers could get fuel and supplies. This explanation points to an earlier supply situation. Together with the 1925 founding and the 1926 openings, the possible origin of the name adds another historical perspective to these dated milestones.

Finding a Hotel and Choosing a Destination

The area's history and trail listing can help you choose a destination; you can then select a specific hotel based on the details of its offerings and your personal requirements.

For the broader travel overview: Washington County.