Topic
Cars and driving
Registration and plates, emissions, mountain-pass and winter-driving rules, and the things that change when you drive and register a vehicle in Colorado.
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Local notes
More cars and driving notes
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Cars and driving
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.
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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.
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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.
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La Plata Canyon Road turns to rough 4WD before Kennebec Pass
La Plata Canyon Road west of Durango starts paved, turns to gravel near the forest boundary, and becomes a rugged 4WD route beyond the campgrounds toward Kennebec Pass.
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Driving and weather in the San Luis Valley: cold air and blowing dust
The San Luis Valley floor near Alamosa is a high, flat basin where cold air settles and spring winds can kick up dust, both of which affect driving.
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Driving Sedgwick County's plains means watching the sky and the wind
Northeast Colorado's open country brings summer thunderstorms, hail, and high wind plus winter ground blizzards, so checking the forecast and road conditions is part of plains driving.
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On I-76 through Morgan County, wind closes the road as much as snow
Interstate 76 crosses Morgan County's open plains, where blowing snow and ground blizzards can shut the road even when little new snow falls.
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Cordova Pass is a high gravel road that closes for the winter
Cordova Pass crosses the high country near the Spanish Peaks on a gravel forest road above 11,000 feet, and it closes in winter, so it is a seasonal back route rather than a year-round road.
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Driving the open plains in Cheyenne County means watching the sky
Cheyenne County's flat, open highways carry fast-changing plains weather, from spring and summer hail and thunderstorms to winter wind and blowing snow, so checking conditions before a drive is routine.
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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.
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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.
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Mosquito Pass is a seasonal 4WD road, not a year-round route to Leadville
Mosquito Pass connects Alma and Leadville over a very high, rocky road that is usually open only for a short stretch of summer and needs a high-clearance 4WD vehicle.
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On Phillips County roads, watch the sky before a long drive
Open plains country in Phillips County brings hail, high wind, and fast-moving summer storms that can change driving conditions on long county roads.
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Skyline Drive above Cañon City is a one-way road on a thin ridge
Skyline Drive west of Cañon City runs one direction along a narrow hogback ridge, so it is a road to take slowly and on purpose, not a shortcut.
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The express lanes on Denver's highways are tolled
Several Denver-area highways have express lanes that charge a toll or require a pass, separate from the free general lanes beside them.
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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.
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The Gold Belt byway is a great drive through Teller County's gold towns
The Gold Belt Tour byway links Teller County's gold towns over scenic historic routes like Phantom Canyon and Shelf Road, with some narrow, unpaved, seasonal stretches to plan for.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Lincoln Creek Road is a rough 4WD route with dispersed campsites off Highway 82
Lincoln Creek Road climbs off the Independence Pass highway to dispersed campsites and Grizzly Reservoir, but it is a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive road with no services.
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Medano Pass Primitive Road is a sandy 4WD route on the Saguache edge of the Sand Dunes
The Medano Pass Primitive Road crosses deep sand and Medano Creek several times on the Saguache County side of Great Sand Dunes, and it needs a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle.
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Firstview, where eastern Colorado travelers first catch the mountains
Firstview is a tiny spot on US-40 west of Cheyenne Wells, named for the place where westbound plains travelers first catch a distant glimpse of the mountains.
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