Greed does weird things to people. In 1858, the United States was a mess. Banks were failing, the economy was in the gutter, and the Panic of 1857 had left thousands of people broke and desperate. Then, word got out. Gold. It was supposedly just sitting there in the South Platte River Valley, right at the foot of the Rockies. People didn’t wait for a second confirmation. They didn't ask for a map. They just painted Pikes Peak or Bust on the sides of their canvas-topped wagons and started walking west.
It’s a gritty phrase. It’s also kinda funny when you think about it because most of the people who used it never actually went to Pikes Peak. They were aiming for the Cherry Creek area, which we now know as Denver, but the mountain was the only landmark anyone back East actually recognized. It was the North Star for the desperate.
The Massive Lie That Started the Rush
Honestly, the whole 1859 Gold Rush was built on a foundation of exaggerations and straight-up lies. In 1858, a group called the Lawrence Party and another led by William Green Russell found tiny bits of gold—what miners call "color." We're talking maybe a few hundred dollars' worth. Hardly a fortune. But the newspapers? They went wild.
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Editors in Missouri and Kansas, who were losing subscribers because of the economic crash, needed a miracle. They started printing "guidebooks" to the gold fields. The problem was that many of these authors had never actually stepped foot in the Rockies. One famous guide by William Byers (who later founded the Rocky Mountain News) basically promised that you could pick up gold like pebbles on a beach.
People believed it. Why wouldn't they? They had nothing left to lose. By 1859, roughly 100,000 "Fifty-Niners" were trekking across the plains.
The reality was brutal.
Imagine walking twenty miles a day behind an ox. You're eating "hardtack"—which is basically a flour-and-water brick—and drinking water out of buffalo wallows. The Smoky Hill Trail, one of the main routes, became known as the "Starvation Trail." People ran out of food and water because the guidebooks lied about the distances between springs.
What "Bust" Actually Looked Like
For many, the "Bust" part of Pikes Peak or Bust happened before they even saw the mountains. When the first massive wave of miners arrived and realized the gold wasn't just lying on the ground, they got angry. Fast.
Thousands turned around. They painted "Busted, by Golly" or "Pikes Peak be Damned" over their original slogans. This "Go-Backers" movement almost killed the Colorado settlements before they really started. It took the discovery of actual lode gold in the mountains—specifically by John H. Gregory in what is now Central City—to prove that there was more than just sand and disappointment in the hills.
The Modern Legacy of the Slogan
If you visit Colorado Springs today, you'll see the phrase everywhere. It’s not just a historical footnote; it’s a brand. The Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo has been running since 1937. It’s a massive deal, sanctioned by the PRCA, and it draws some of the best riders in the world. It’s one of those events where the local culture really shines through—lots of dirt, adrenaline, and a genuine respect for the military families in the area.
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But the phrase also represents a specific kind of Colorado grit.
Pikes Peak itself, or "America’s Mountain," stands at 14,115 feet. Katherine Lee Bates wrote "America the Beautiful" after standing on the summit in 1893. When you look at that granite monolith from the Garden of the Gods, you start to understand why those 19th-century pioneers were so obsessed. It dominates the skyline. It looks like a promise.
Getting to the Top Today
You don't need a wagon anymore. You have three main ways to conquer the peak:
- The Pikes Peak Highway: A 19-mile paved road that winds up the mountain. It’s gorgeous, but your brakes will hate you on the way down. There are literally "brake check" stations where rangers use infrared guns to make sure your wheels aren't about to catch fire.
- The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway: This is the highest cog railway in the world. It was recently renovated, and it’s probably the most "civilized" way to see the view. No steering required.
- Barr Trail: This is for the "Bust" crowd. It’s a 13-mile hike (one way) with about 7,400 feet of vertical gain. It is grueling. People underestimate the altitude every single day.
Why We Still Care About the Fifty-Niners
The Pikes Peak or Bust era changed the map of the United States. Before the rush, "Kansas Territory" stretched all the way to the Continental Divide. The sheer volume of people who moved West for gold forced the government to create the Colorado Territory in 1861.
It also created a unique economy. Most people didn't get rich off gold. They got rich selling shovels, whiskey, and flour to the people looking for gold. This is the "Levi Strauss" model of the West. If you want to see where the real money went, look at the old mansions in Denver's Capitol Hill or the historic buildings in Old Colorado City.
The rush was also devastating for the indigenous populations, specifically the Cheyenne and Arapaho. The Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851) had guaranteed much of this land to them. The gold rush basically ignored that treaty. The resulting tension led to some of the darkest chapters in Colorado history, including the Sand Creek Massacre. You can't talk about the heroism of the pioneers without acknowledging the displacement that followed in their wake. It’s a complicated, messy history.
Misconceptions About the Phrase
A lot of people think the phrase started with the 1849 California Gold Rush. It didn't. While "California or Bust" likely existed in some form, the Pikes Peak version became the definitive American catchphrase for "all or nothing."
Another myth is that Pikes Peak was the site of the biggest gold mines. Actually, the "Cripple Creek" district on the back side of the mountain was where the real motherlode sat, but that wasn't discovered until much later, in the 1890s. The 1859 miners were mostly looking in the wrong place.
How to Experience This History Today
If you’re a history nerd or just someone who likes a good road trip, there are a few spots you shouldn’t miss.
- The Ghost Town Museum in Colorado Springs: It sounds touristy, but they have actual wagons from the era and a lot of artifacts that show just how small and fragile those "Pikes Peak or Bust" rigs really were.
- Central City and Black Hawk: These towns were the "Richest Square Mile on Earth." While Black Hawk is now full of casinos, the architecture still screams 1860s mining boom.
- The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway: Take the train. Just do it. The view from the top is genuinely life-changing, especially when you realize people used to climb it in wool coats and leather boots.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Pioneer
If you are planning to head toward Pikes Peak today, keep these practical points in mind so you don't actually "bust":
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- Hydrate for the Altitude: If you're coming from sea level, the 14,000-foot summit will wreck you. Drink twice as much water as you think you need. Altitude sickness feels like a permanent hangover, and it can be dangerous.
- Check the Weather: It can be 80 degrees in Colorado Springs and snowing at the summit of Pikes Peak. Always bring a heavy jacket, even in July.
- Respect the Grade: If you drive the Pikes Peak Highway, use your low gears (L or 2). If you ride your brakes the whole way down, they will fail. This is a non-negotiable safety tip.
- Visit the Summit House: They make high-altitude donuts there. Because of the air pressure, the recipe only works at that elevation. If you take them down the mountain, they deflate. Eat them at the top.
- Book the Cog Railway Early: In peak summer months, tickets sell out weeks in advance. Don't show up in Manitou Springs expecting to hop on a train.
The spirit of Pikes Peak or Bust wasn't really about the gold. It was about the audacity of trying something impossible because the alternative was staying stuck. Whether you're hiking Barr Trail or just driving up for a donut, you're tapping into a legacy of people who decided that the "Bust" was worth the risk of the peak. It's a very American kind of madness. It's why Colorado exists. It's why we still look at the horizon and wonder what's on the other side.