Driving US 50 through Prowers County follows the Santa Fe Trail

The main highway across Prowers County is more than a way to get to the next town. The stretch of US 50 that runs through Holly, Granada, and Lamar is part of the Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway, and it traces a route people traveled long before cars.

In the 1800s, wagons hauling trade goods crossed these plains on the Santa Fe Trail between Missouri and Santa Fe. The modern byway follows that path, then continues west toward the mountains. Markers and small sites along the way tell pieces of the story — trade, travel, and the many peoples whose lives the trail touched.

For a driver, the practical notes are simple. This is open plains driving: long, flat distances, strong crosswinds at times, and fewer services between towns than you might expect. It is a calm, unhurried drive rather than a quick one, and that is part of the point.

A byway like this rewards a little planning. Knowing the route, the towns along it, and a few of the historic stops turns a long highway into a trip worth taking slowly.

To map the byway and learn the history along it, start with the state transportation department’s scenic byways and History Colorado.