Wonderful colorful Colorado, what beauty lies within all those lakes, trees, and mountain vistas. There is something about taking a scenic drive to destress your crazy hectic life but what of the drive itself makes you crazy. Getting lost in the mountains doesn’t seem like a bad idea unless it is at night or in the winter. EEK! But getting lost in the views of miles and miles of beauty, watch out!
The scenic drives I will discuss today won’t be in any particular order and will require some serious navigating abilities but once your there watch out. Be prepared for serene beauty, nature that holds no bounds and an occasional dirt road. Believe me when I tell you there are more scenic byways in Colorado then then we have time to talk about. Colorado vast amount of land holds hundreds of picturesque driving routes through the state. To talk about them all could take months.
I must enter a disclosure, since Colorado has increased in human capacity some of these sights might be busy or worse shut down due to human defamation. Some sites will show the devastation of a massive wildfire. An immense amount of mountain park lands has been devastated by some type of wildfire in the past few years.
Scenic Drives
Alpine Loop
The Alpine Loop travels through the San Juan Mountains passing over old mining roads founded in the late 1800s near Silverton, Ouray and Lake City.
Total miles: 63 miles
Starting Point: Silverton
End Point: Ouray
Drive time: est. 7 hours
Ideal in the summer
Note: Closed during winter
Dinosaur Diamond
Located in the Northwestern part of Colorado’s Dinosaur Diamond byway will take you through landscapes that Dinosaurs once roamed.
Total miles: 134 miles
Starting Point: Grand Junction
End Point: CO/Utah Border on Hwy. 40
Drive time: est. 2-3 hours
Ideal in the Fall, Spring, Summer
Guanella Pass
Passing up into the alpines, this former burro trail holds breathtaking views of Mount Bierstadt, Mount Evans and the stunning alpine tundra before driving down into lower tree lines.
Total miles: 22 miles
Starting Point: Georgetown
End Point: Grant
Drive time: est. 1-2 hours
Ideal in the fall
Note: Sometimes closes due to winter conditions near certain portions of the byway between Naylor Lake Road and Burning Bear Campground
Independence Pass
Part of Colorado State Highway 82, Independence Pass passes over the Continental Divide between Leadville and Aspen. This portion of highway is also incorporated into the Top of the Rockies Scenic and Historic Byway.
Total miles: 36 miles
Starting Point: Twin Lakes
End Point: Aspen
Drive time: est. 1-2 hours
Ideal in the summertime
Note: Closed during winter in October, lots of activities
Million Dollar Highway
stretching all the way from New Mexico to Colorado, this winding US highway 550 is also known as The Million Dollar Highway with spectacular views from Ouray and Silverton.
Total miles: 25 miles
Starting Point: Ouray
End Point: Silverton
Drive time: est. 1 hour
Ideal in the Fall, Spring, Summer
Note: Closed during winter. It boasts North America’s highest avalanche hazard
Peak to Peak Scenic Byway
This oldest byway in Colorado, takes you through the Front Range and Rocky Mountain National Park, along the Continental Divide, and into mining ghost towns and picturesque views of Longs Peak.
Total miles: 55 miles
Starting Point: Black Hawk/Central City
End Point: Estes Park
Drive time: est. 2 hours
Ideal in the fall and winter
Note: The Black Hawk & Central City Tramway is a free shuttle service connecting the two towns.
San Juan Skyway
Traveling through the San Juan Mountains and making stops at several historical towns like Durango, Silverton, Telluride and Ouray.
Total miles: 236 miles
Starting Point: Durango
End Point: Durango
Drive time: est. 7 hours
Ideal in the Fall, Spring, Summer
Note: Closed during winter in some areas check road conditions ahead of traveling the Million Dollar Highway. Watch the stretch between Silverton and Ouray for cautious drop-offs and lacking guardrails for your safety.
Shrine Pass
Shrine Pass Road is a 40.9 mile highly trafficked out and back trail or road located near Frisco and Vail bordering the Eagle and Summit Counties within the Sawatch range of the Rocky Mountains
Total miles: 11.2 miles
Starting Point: Vail Pass
End Point: Red Cliff
Drive time: est. 1 hour
Ideal Summer for driving; June until September
Note: Closed during winter.
Top of the Rockies
Starting at the beginning of the Arkansas River through historical Leadville’s Main Street ending on Aspen or Copper Mountain with views of Mount Elbert and Mount Massive the tallest and second tallest peaks in the state.
Total miles: 115 miles
Starting Point: Minturn
End Point: Aspen or Copper Mountain
Drive time: est. 4 hours
Ideal in the Fall, Spring, Summer
Note: Closed during winter
Trail Ridge Road
Driving up to an elevation of 12,183, Trail Ridge Road routes through Rocky Mountain National Park sandwiched between the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake. This drive also allows your to take part in seeing the Continental Divide.
Total miles: 48 miles
Starting Point: Estes Park
End Point: Grand Lake
Drive time: est. 2 hours
Ideal in the fall and summer
Note: Closed during winter typically from mid-October through late May. Summer days and weekends are very busy, especially between 9am and 3pm, registration is advance is required.
Honorable Mentions
Collegiate Peaks
The Avenue of Fourteeners, the Collegiate Peaks continuously rise above the 14,000-foot mark and include such summits as Mount Princeton, Mount Yale, and Mount Harvard. It’s also the highest amount of 14,000 or plus foot peaks in the United States.
Total miles: 57 miles
Starting Point: Salida
End Point: Granite
Drive time: est. 2 hours
Ideal year around
Gold Belt Tour
Drive the Gold Belt Tour and view the historic gold camps routes linking Cripple Creek and Victor Mining District to the small towns of Florence, Cañon City and Florissant. You can reach the northern end of the Byway from U.S. Highway 24 and the southern end via U.S. Highway 50. Four-wheel-drive is required to navigate certain stretches of the Shelf Road and Phantom Canyon. No RV or trailers allowed.
Total miles: 131 miles
Starting Point: Florissant
End Point: Florence
Drive time: est. 5-6 hours
Ideal spring, summer and fall
Lariat Loop
On the Lariat Loop byway just west of Denver you view the tree covered foothills of the Rockies, geological sites and dinosaur tracks on the hogback rock formation.
Total miles: 40 miles
Starting Point: Golden
End Point: Golden
Drive time: est. 2 hours
Ideal year around