Northwestern Colorado’s Dinosaur Diamond Scenic and Historic byway takes drivers through landscapes that once shook under the footfalls of titans.

Shaped like a lasso that’s been dropped on Colorado’s pristine West Elk Mountains, this byway unites three very different mining communities.

The South Platte River Trail is long on history.

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.

The Colorado River Headwaters Scenic byway traces one of North America’s mightiest rivers to the source.

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.

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, Colorado’s newest scenic byway, offers access to dramatic mountain scenery and layers of history.

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.

The Santa Fe Trail between Missouri and Santa Fe, in what was Mexico, ran through the southeast corner of Colorado.

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

The views up to Mount Evans are breathtaking, with alpine lakes, massive granite walls and stands of twisted, ancient bristlecone pine.