Skyline Drive above Cañon City is a one-way road on a thin ridge

Just west of Cañon City, Skyline Drive runs along the top of a thin, steep ridge. It is a short scenic route, but it is not an ordinary street. The road goes one direction only and rides a narrow spine of rock with drop-offs on both sides.

That design means the drive is something to do slowly and with attention. It is not a faster way through town, and it is not a place to be in a hurry, distracted, or unsure of your vehicle. Drivers nervous about heights or narrow roads should know what they are getting into before they start, because once you are on it, you finish the loop.

There is a geology bonus, too: the same ridge holds preserved dinosaur trackways, part of the rich fossil story around Cañon City. The Colorado Geological Survey describes the rock and the tracks.

If you are planning to drive Skyline Drive, check the City of Cañon City’s page for current access, direction, and any closures, and read the Colorado Geological Survey’s account of the ridge before you go. Take it slow and treat it as a viewpoint, not a thoroughfare.