Take a peek at the 26 routes that crisscross Colorado's varied landscapes — and then pick a few to explore in person below.

Find A Byway

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Guanella Pass
Guanella Pass Thumbnail Map
Guanella Pass
Rockies Playground
Climbing to timberline, the byway takes in views of 14,060-foot Mount Bierstadt and the alpine tundra before descending into cool groves of aspen and pine, as well as the historic town of Georgetown.
Colorado River Headwaters
Colorado River Headwaters
Colorado River Headwaters
The Great West
The Colorado River Headwaters Scenic byway traces one of North America’s mightiest rivers to the source.
Dinosaur Diamond
Dinosaur Diamond Thumbnail Map
Dinosaur Diamond
Mountains & Mesas
The Great West
Northwestern Colorado’s Dinosaur Diamond Scenic and Historic byway takes drivers through landscapes that once shook under the footfalls of titans.
Cache la Poudre
Cache la Poudre North Park Thumbnail Map
Cache la Poudre - North Park
Denver & Cities of the Rockies
The Great West
The Cache la Poudre’s famous name translates from French as “the powder’s hiding place,” and controversy swirls among historians on how it received this name.
Grand Mesa
Grand Mesa Thumbnail Map
Grand Mesa
Mountains & Mesas
Colorado’s Grand Mesa scenic byway leads through old-growth forests, aspens, meadows and so many lakes you’ll lose track. That’s Grand Mesa in a nutshell.
Unaweep Tabeguache
Unaweep Tabeguache Thumbnail Map
Unaweep Tabeguache
Mountains & Mesas
Off the beaten path by a long shot, Colorado’s Unaweep Tabeguache scenic byway weaves its way through some of the wildest BLM lands in America.
Trail Ridge Road
Trail Ridge Road Thumbnail Map
Trail Ridge Road
Denver & Cities of the Rockies
The Great West
Trail Ridge Road is one of the best ways to see the Continental Divide as it cuts through Colorado.
Lariat Loop
Lariat Loop Thumbnail Map
Lariat Loop
Denver & Cities of the Rockies
On the Lariat Loop scenic byway you’ll find evergreens covering the foothills of the Rockies, the curious crimson formations at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, and even dinosaur tracks.
South Platte River Trail
South Platte River Trail Thumbnail Map
South Platte River Trail
Pioneering Plains
The South Platte River Trail is long on history.
Alpine Loop
Alpine Loop Thumbnail Map
Alpine Loop
Mountains & Mesas
The 65-mile scenic drive travels through a surreal landscape of treeless tundra and mountains seemingly splashed with red and yellow paint near Ouray,
Mount Evans
Mount Evans Thumbnail Map
Mount Evans
Denver & Cities of the Rockies
Rockies Playground
The views up to Mount Evans are breathtaking, with alpine lakes, massive granite walls and stands of twisted, ancient bristlecone pine.
Los Caminos Antiguos
Los Caminos Antiguos Thumbnail Map
Los Caminos Antiguos
Mystic San Luis Valley
The San Luis Valley is one of Colorado’s most impressive landscapes, with massive sand dunes, nine 14,000-foot peaks ringing its edge and the historic Rio Grande pulsing through its heart.
Top of the Rockies
Top of the Rockies Thumbnail Map
Top of the Rockies
Pikes Peak Wonders
Rockies Playground
Scenery reaches new heights on the Top of the Rockies scenic byway — Mount Elbert and Mount Massive are the tallest and second tallest peaks in the state.
West Elk Loop
West Elk Loop Thumbnail Map
West Elk Loop
Mountains & Mesas
Rockies Playground
Shaped like a lasso that’s been dropped on Colorado’s pristine West Elk Mountains, this byway unites three very different mining communities.
Frontier Pathways
Frontier Pathways Thumbnail Map
Frontier Pathways
Pikes Peak Wonders
The area covered by Colorado’s Frontier Pathways scenic byway is heavily steeped in Colorado history. The land near Pueblo holds great importance to past inhabitants.
Gold Belt Tour
Gold Belt Tour Thumbnail Map
Gold Belt Tour
Pikes Peak Wonders
Settlers of this area that now encompasses Colorado’s Gold Belt Tour scenic byway had written “Pikes Peak or Bust” on the side of their wagons.
Collegiate Peaks
Collegiate Peaks Thumbnail Map
Collegiate Peaks
Pikes Peak Wonders
Along its entire length, the Collegiate Peaks continuously rise above the 14,000-foot mark and include such summits as Mount Princeton, Mount Yale and Mount Harvard.
Tracks Across Borders
Tracks Across Borders Thumbnail Map
Tracks Across Borders
Mountains & Mesas
Tracks Across Borders, Colorado’s newest scenic byway, offers access to dramatic mountain scenery and layers of history.
Pawnee Pioneer Trails
Pawnee Pioneer Trails Thumbnail Map
Pawnee Pioneer Trails
Denver & Cities of the Rockies
Pioneering Plains
Northeast Colorado’s Pawnee Pioneer Trails scenic and historic byway leads you through a fascinating prairie expanse.
Highway of Legends
Highway of Legends Thumbnail Map
Highway of Legends
Canyons & Plains
Mystic San Luis Valley
Colorado’s Highway of Legends scenic and historic byway is the perfect detour for those exploring southern Colorado.
Trail of the Ancients
Trail of the Ancients Thumbnail Map
Trail of the Ancients
Mountains & Mesas
This scenic byway near Cortez and Dolores takes you through the heart of the landscape and unique history of the American Southwest.
Flat Tops Trail
Flat Tops Trail Thumbnail Map
Flat Tops Trail
The Great West
For 82 scenic miles, this byway winds its way through lush river valleys, skirts the bountiful Flat Tops Wilderness and climbs over two of Colorado’s least-traveled passes.
Silver Thread
Silver Thread Thumbnail Map
Silver Thread
Mountains & Mesas
Mystic San Luis Valley
Colorado’s Silver Thread scenic byway weaves through one remarkable story after another — some historical, others more nature-based.
Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail Thumbnail Map
Santa Fe Trail
Canyons & Plains
The Santa Fe Trail between Missouri and Santa Fe, in what was Mexico, ran through the southeast corner of Colorado.
Peak to Peak
Peak to Peak Thumbnail Map
Peak to Peak
Denver & Cities of the Rockies
As Colorado’s Peak to Peak byway skirts the lower ridges of the Front Range and Rocky Mountain National Park, make sure to pull off and take in views of the craggy.
San Juan Skyway
San Juan Skyway Thumbnail Map
San Juan Skyway
Mountains & Mesas

This byway is often considered an essential journey for road trippers, traveling through popular mountain towns like Durango, Silverton, Telluride and Ouray.