Coronado National Memorial
Coronado National Memorial commemorates the first major Spanish exploration into what is now the American Southwest, led by Francisco Vazquez de Coronado in 1540.
Exploring this area, it is easy to imagine what those early explorers encountered: vast grasslands, rugged mountains and an unfamiliar land stretching far beyond what they knew. Coronado set out in search of the fabled Seven Cities of Gold, but what he revealed was something far more enduring: a new understanding of the geography, cultures and scale of this region.
The site was established as a national memorial in 1941 by President Franklin D Roosevelt, recognizing the historical significance of this expedition and its impact on the history of the Southwest.
From the top of Coronado Peak, you can look out across two countries: the United States and Mexico. This is a powerful reminder that this landscape was part of a much larger and shared history.
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