Below are short descriptions of each Colorado Scenic & Historic Byway, including the popular Trail Ridge Road, Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, fall color drives and other scenic drives and motorcycle routes.
Click the byway name for details and suggested itineraries.
1. Alpine Loop^
Guide your 4x4 over high-elevation 1880s roads past thick-with-wildflower meadows, abandoned mines and ghost towns. And when riding OHVs through the Alpine Loop, make sure you follow Colorado's off-roading motto of "Stay the Trail."
Southwest region: Connecting the towns of Lake City, Ouray and Silverton.
2. Cache la Poudre–North Park
Travel alongside one of America’s few Wild and Scenic Rivers and watch for grazing moose, granite canyon walls and historic landmarks. Front Range region: Between the historic towns of Fort Collins and Walden.
3. Collegiate Peaks^
Take this old stagecoach route through canyons carved by the Arkansas River and North America’s densest concentration of 14,000-foot peaks. South-central region: Connecting the towns of Granite, Buena Vista, Salida and Poncha Springs.
4. Colorado River Headwaters*^
Trace the upper reaches of the Colorado River and gain insight into the mountain men, ranchers and thrill-seekers of the state’s past. Northwest region: Between Rocky Mountain National Park and State Bridge via Granby and Kremmling.
5. Dinosaur Diamond
Hunt for fossils and footprints made by massive dinosaurs and rock art left behind by Fremont Indians along sandstone canyons and mesas. Northwest region: Grand Junction to Rangely over Douglas Pass, through Dinosaur into Utah.
6. Flat Tops Trail^
Immerse yourself in the mountainous beauty that inspired the U.S. government to preserve its wilderness areas in their raw states. Northwest region: Connects the towns of Yampa and Meeker.
7. Frontier Pathways*
Glimpse relics of frontier life along a route that climbs upward, with plants, animals and geology that change every 1,000 feet. Southeast region: Between the city of Pueblo and the towns of Westcliffe and Colorado City.
8. Gold Belt Tour*^
See canyons dotted with the petrified remains of life from 35 million years ago and find the history of “the greatest gold camp in the world.” South-central region: Between Florissant, Cripple Creek, Victor, Florence and Cañon City.
9. Grand Mesa*^
Journey atop the world’s largest flattop mountain to see wide-open vistas and more than 300 stream-fed lakes. Northwest region: Between I-70 and Cedaredge.
10. Guanella Pass^
Tour the preserved silver-mining town of Georgetown before rising in elevation to raw alpine wilderness. Front Range region: Between the towns of Georgetown and Grant.
11. Highway of the Legends*^
Arc around the Spanish Peaks, where gold-seeking conquistadors, as well as Comanche, Pueblo and Tarahumara peoples once traveled. Southeast region: Linking Trinidad, La Veta, Walsenburg and Aguilar.
12. Lariat Loop*^
Drive one of the first routes developed by the City of Denver to help Coloradans experience its mountain parks. Denver Metro region: Connecting the towns of Golden, Morrison, Idledale, Kittredge and Evergreen.
13. Los Caminos Antiguos
Drift through the San Luis Valley, a mystical basin of vast farmland, the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Great Sand Dunes. South-central region: Between Cumbres Pass and the city of Alamosa via Antonito, San Luis and Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.