Unearth The Hidden History Of Colorado's Aviation Beacons

From the days following World War I to the early days of World War II, the United States effectively utilized the American Transcontinental Airway System to deliver airmail throughout the country.

The American Transcontinental Airway System used 1,500 beacons placed along various routes that stretch more than 18,000 miles from New York to San Francisco. Keep scrolling to learn more about the ATA routes that passed through Colorado, and to see what remains of the giant concrete arrows that guided pilots along the way.

The American Transcontinental Airway System in Colorado

The American Transcontinental Airway had two routes nearest to Colorado. One traveled along the Colorado-Wyoming border. The other followed a path along the Colorado-New Mexico border. By the mid-1930s, a route was added to link Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Pueblo, Colorado. Additional routes were later added in Colorado.

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Pilots delivering mail for the airway used the DeHavilland DH-4 aircraft, a Douglas M-2, and Curtiss Carrier Pigeon-style planes. The mail was delivered along routes marked by 50 to 70-foot concrete arrows pilots could see from the sky. The arrows were lit by a beacon at night. Pilots would find a new arrow about every ten miles along the route. Evidence of these arrows and beacons can still be found today.

American Transcontinental Airway Markers Surround Colorado

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The website Dreamsmithphotos.com hosts a special collection titled Arrows Across America. They have an amazing and comprehensive archive. Some of the concrete arrows remain, and other locations show only the foundation.

While there are no concrete arrows left in Colorado, several of the beacon towers can still be found, along with evidence of the arrow foundations. All that is left of our Colorado beacons can be found at the following locations:

Beacon Sites You Can Visit Today

Want to see what a restored American Transcontinental Airway beacon site looks like? You can visit one at the Western New Mexico Aviation Heritage Museum in Milan, New Mexico.

As seen in the photo above, each site had a shed with the airmail route (LA-A) on the roof description visible to the pilot. This shed sits on the Los Angeles to Atlanta route. The tower with the beacon stands next to the shed with the concrete arrow underneath.

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