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 4 of 5
Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
The "Oh My God Road" Between Idaho Springs and Central City
Virginia Canyon Road, the unpaved "Oh My God Road," climbs past old mine workings between Idaho Springs and Central City with wide mountain views.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
The "Oh My God" Road is the back way to Idaho Springs - and a drive in itself
Virginia Canyon Road is an unpaved shelf route between Central City and Idaho Springs, full of old mine country and hairpin turns, that rewards a dry-day, daylight plan.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
The Alpine Loop crosses two high passes that need a real 4x4
The Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway links Lake City with Silverton and Ouray over Cinnamon and Engineer passes, on rough roads meant for high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
The Alpine Loop is a scenic byway you mostly drive in four-wheel drive
The Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway links Ouray, Silverton, and Lake City over Engineer and Cinnamon passes, and the high sections need a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
The Alpine Loop near Silverton is a backcountry byway, not a casual drive
The Alpine Loop links Silverton to high passes and old mining sites on rough roads that need the right vehicle and are closed by snow much of the year.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
The Black Canyon's North Rim is reached from Crawford, on a gravel road that closes in winter
The quieter North Rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is reached from Crawford in Delta County by a gravel road that is unplowed and closed to vehicles in winter and early spring.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
The Central City Parkway: Gilpin County's direct road up from I-70
The Central City Parkway connects Central City to Interstate 70, giving Gilpin County a paved high-mountain route separate from the road through Black Hawk.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
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 ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
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.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
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 - June 10, 2026
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 climbs past high lakes and flat-topped peaks; good to know it has long gravel sections, a high pass, and a center stretch that closes in winter.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
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 - June 10, 2026
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 - June 10, 2026
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.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
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 - June 10, 2026
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 - June 10, 2026
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 - June 10, 2026
The Highway of Legends loops over a high dirt road at Cordova Pass
An extension of the Highway of Legends climbs a narrow dirt road over Cordova Pass, which sits high and stays closed much of the year.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
The Million Dollar Highway is a real mountain road, not a scenic shortcut
US 550 over Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Silverton is a steep, narrow mountain highway that can close in winter, so it deserves planning rather than a casual drive.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
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 - June 10, 2026
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 - June 10, 2026
The Peak to Peak Byway is scenic — and a real mountain drive
The Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway runs to Black Hawk through Gilpin County, and a designated byway is still a high mountain road in winter.
Read note ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
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 ->Cars and driving - June 10, 2026
The road through Creede is a scenic byway, and the side roads are rougher than they look
Highway 149 through Mineral County is the Silver Thread Scenic Byway, a beautiful but high mountain route, while many forest side roads need high-clearance four-wheel drive.
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