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.
109 notes - page 2 of 5
Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
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 - June 10, 2026
Firstview, where eastern Colorado travelers first catch the mountains
Firstview is a tiny spot on US-40 west of Cheyenne Wells, named because westbound plains travelers got their first distant glimpse of Pikes Peak from here.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
From Durango, the San Juan Skyway loops a whole mountain range
Durango anchors one end of the San Juan Skyway, a 232-mile loop through the San Juans that the federal government has named an All-American Road.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
From Grand Lake, the road over the top is a summer-only road
Trail Ridge Road links Grand Lake to the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park, but it closes through the mountains for much of the year.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
From South Fork, US 160 climbs toward Wolf Creek Pass
South Fork sits where US 160 leaves the valley and begins the climb toward Wolf Creek Pass, a high mountain corridor with real winter driving conditions.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
Getting in and out of Lake City means crossing high passes
Highway 149, the Silver Thread byway, is Lake City's main paved link and it crosses high mountain passes that demand care in winter.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
Getting in and out of Park County means driving mountain passes
Major routes into Park County climb over high passes like Kenosha and Hoosier, where winter weather, traction and chain laws, and temporary closures are part of normal travel.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
Getting to and from Craig in winter means watching US 40
Craig sits on US 40, and the drive east toward Steamboat Springs crosses high country where winter weather and Colorado's traction law can shape your trip.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
Getting to Silverton in winter means watching Red Mountain Pass
US 550 over Red Mountain Pass north of Silverton can close for snow and avalanche control, so winter travel here depends on checking the road first.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
Getting to Summit County in winter means planning for the I-70 mountain corridor
The main route into Summit County follows the I-70 mountain corridor through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel, and winter storms can bring traction laws, delays, or closures.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
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 - June 10, 2026
Highway 17 out of Antonito climbs over high mountain passes
State Highway 17 west from Antonito crosses La Manga and Cumbres passes into the mountains, a route that brings steep grades, weather, and seasonal driving conditions.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
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 - June 10, 2026
I-70 through Glenwood Canyon can close, and there is no quick way around
Interstate 70 runs through Glenwood Canyon in Garfield County, where rockfall, mudslides, and flood risk can close the highway, and the detour is long.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
In Adams County, your car may need an emissions test
Adams County is part of the Front Range area where many gas vehicles must pass an emissions test to register, tied to the region's ozone air-quality problem.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
Independence Pass closes every winter, so Aspen has one main way in
Highway 82 over Independence Pass is closed each winter, which changes how you reach Aspen and Pitkin County for much of the year.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
Independence Pass closes for the winter, so plan around it
State Highway 82 over Independence Pass, the high route between Twin Lakes and Aspen, closes seasonally for winter, so the drive that works in summer may not work in the snow.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
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 - June 10, 2026
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.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
La Veta Pass and the I-25 corridor shape winter driving here
Huerfano County travel runs along Interstate 25 and over La Veta Pass toward the San Luis Valley, and both can change quickly with mountain weather.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
Last Chance: the crossroads that named itself for the empty road ahead
A plains junction at US 36 and SH 71 that earned its name warning drivers about the long empty stretch toward Denver.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
Leaving Montrose by car often means a mountain pass
Montrose sits in a valley, but the highways out of it climb mountain passes that can bring chain laws and closures, so checking road conditions before a winter trip is routine.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
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.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
Lizard Head Pass is the year-round road south of Telluride, weather and all
Highway 145 over Lizard Head Pass is the main route south of Telluride and stays open year-round, but winter weather and avalanche control can close it for short stretches.
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