Tag
scenic byway
31 Porch Notes tagged “scenic byway,” from counties across Colorado.
Outdoors and wildfire - Clear Creek County
The road up Mount Blue Sky may need a reservation
The scenic byway up Mount Blue Sky from Idaho Springs uses a timed-entry reservation system during the busy season, so a visit takes planning.
Read note ->Cars and driving - San Miguel County
The San Juan Skyway is the 236-mile loop that starts at Telluride's doorstep
The San Juan Skyway is a 236-mile loop through the San Juan Mountains that the U.S. named an All-American Road in 1996, and Telluride sits right on it.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Rio Blanco County
The Flat Tops Trail byway is a high-country scenic drive between Meeker and Yampa
The Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway between Meeker and Yampa has gravel sections, a high pass, and a center stretch that closes in winter.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Fremont County
The Gold Belt Tour byway near Cañon City is part pavement, part old wagon and rail grade
The Gold Belt Tour National Scenic Byway loops north from the Cañon City area toward Cripple Creek over historic gravel routes, so parts of it are slow, narrow back roads rather than easy highway.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Larimer County
Trail Ridge Road is a high alpine drive that closes for winter
Trail Ridge Road climbs above 12,000 feet through Rocky Mountain National Park and is only open for part of the year, so a drive over it from the Estes Park side depends on the season and the weather.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Gunnison County
Kebler Pass is gravel, famous for fall aspens, and closed in winter
Kebler Pass west of Crested Butte is a gravel road through huge aspen stands, part of the West Elk Loop scenic byway, and it closes each winter.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Archuleta County
Pagosa Springs sits at the doorstep of the San Juan Skyway
The San Juan Skyway is a designated scenic byway looping through the mountains west of Archuleta County, and it is a long mountain drive rather than a quick day trip.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Otero County
A Santa Fe Trail Drive Through Otero County's Plains Towns
Trace the Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway through Otero County, linking Bent's Old Fort, the Sierra Vista overlook, the Otero Museum, and La Junta's old downtown in one easy day by car.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Routt County
The Flat Tops Trail Byway and the Devil's Causeway start near Yampa
The Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway runs from Yampa over a high gravel route that closes in winter, and from its high country a narrow rock land bridge called the Devil's Causeway draws hikers.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Montezuma County
The San Juan Skyway climbs from Dolores over Lizard Head Pass
The San Juan Skyway runs through Dolores, Cortez, and Mancos and climbs north over high Lizard Head Pass, a paved but serious mountain drive with real winter weather.
Read note ->Cars and driving - San Juan County
The San Juan Skyway is the paved scenic loop through Silverton's passes
US 550 through San Juan County is part of the San Juan Skyway, a paved scenic byway that crosses Molas and Coal Bank passes between Silverton and Durango.
Read note ->History and culture - Sedgwick County
The South Platte River Trail byway loops through Sedgwick County's frontier past
A short state-designated scenic and historic byway near Julesburg follows the old westward route past Fort Sedgwick and a Pony Express station site.
Read note ->History and culture - San Juan County
The Million Dollar Highway is history you can drive
The stretch of US 550 between Silverton and Ouray, the 'Million Dollar Highway,' dates to the 1920s and is part of the San Juan Skyway, a route built on old mining roads.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Boulder County
The Peak to Peak Byway is the old high road through the mountain towns
The Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway links Boulder County's mountain towns along the Front Range using state highways 7, 72, and 119.
Read note ->History and culture - Huerfano County
The Spanish Peaks and their stone dikes are the county's landmark
The twin Spanish Peaks and the long stone walls radiating from them are a well-known geologic feature in Huerfano County, and the Highway of Legends byway runs through the country around them.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Montezuma County
The Trail of the Ancients is a byway, but its sites take backroads
Montezuma County's scenic byway links ancient sites and public lands, but reaching some stops means rough backroads, long distances, and little water or fuel.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Costilla County
Driving Costilla County means long, open, lightly served roads
A scenic byway and a web of rural roads connect Costilla County's small towns, but distances are long and services are few, so plan trips with that in mind.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Prowers County
Driving US 50 through Prowers County follows the Santa Fe Trail
The highway through Lamar and Granada is part of the Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway, a driving route that traces an old wagon road across the plains.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Chaffee County
The Collegiate Peaks Scenic Byway frames the drive through the valley
The highways linking Poncha Springs, Salida, and Buena Vista form the Collegiate Peaks Scenic Byway, a state-designated route along the Sawatch Range and the Arkansas River.
Read note ->History and culture - Grand County
The Colorado River Headwaters Byway follows the river out of Grand County
A scenic byway traces the young Colorado River through Grand County, linking the towns to the river that shaped them.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Garfield County
The Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway is a summer-only gravel route
The Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway crosses the high country of the Flat Tops, brushing northern Garfield County, on a gravel road that is snowed in much of the year, has no gas stations, and opens only in the warm months.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Pitkin County
Highway 82 over Independence Pass is part of a national scenic byway
The drive from Aspen over Independence Pass is the high point of the Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway, passing the Independence ghost town site near the summit.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Jackson County
Highway 14 through North Park is a named scenic byway
The drive over Cameron Pass and across North Park is the Cache la Poudre - North Park Scenic Byway, a route CDOT recognizes for its river, pass, and wildlife country.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Conejos County
Los Caminos Antiguos is the scenic byway that runs through Antonito
The Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic Byway links Antonito with Alamosa, San Luis, and Fort Garland, tying together the San Luis Valley's old towns, the railroad, and the route toward the Great Sand Dunes.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Pueblo County
The Frontier Pathways Scenic Byway starts at Pueblo
Frontier Pathways is a designated Colorado scenic byway that runs west from the Pueblo area into the Wet Mountains and Wet Mountain Valley, a long drive through frontier history.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Delta County
The Grand Mesa Scenic Byway climbs from I-70 to Cedaredge over high country
State Highway 65 over the Grand Mesa is a designated National Scenic Byway ending in Cedaredge, a paved but high mountain drive with limited services and real winter weather.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Las Animas County
The Highway of Legends links Trinidad to the high country on Colorado 12
Colorado Highway 12, the Highway of Legends, is a designated scenic byway that climbs from Trinidad through old coal towns and over Cuchara Pass toward La Veta, a mountain drive worth treating as one.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Denver County
The Mount Blue Sky road is seasonal and needs a timed ticket
The high paved road up Mount Blue Sky from Echo Lake is open only part of the year and requires a timed-entry reservation in season.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Logan County
The Pawnee Pioneer Trails byway near Sterling includes gravel roads
The scenic byway that reaches Sterling crosses long stretches of remote county and gravel road, so it pays to plan fuel, water, and weather before you drive it.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Montrose County
The Unaweep-Tabeguache byway runs remote canyon country in Montrose County's West End
The Unaweep-Tabeguache Scenic and Historic Byway follows highways 141 and 145 through remote canyon country, including Montrose County's West End around Naturita and Nucla, with long stretches that have no fuel and no cell service.
Read note ->Cars and driving - Montrose County
The West Elk Loop scenic byway anchors at Montrose's Black Canyon
The West Elk Loop is a long Colorado scenic and historic byway that uses the Black Canyon near Montrose as one of its anchors, looping through mountain and ranch country over a full day of driving.
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