How many scenic byways does Colorado have?
Colorado has 26 designated Scenic and Historic Byways covering roughly 2,585 miles of roadway. The program started in March 1989 and is one of the oldest state byway programs in the country. Twenty-one of the 26 also carry a federal designation, and Colorado's 13 combined All-American Roads and National Scenic Byways are the most of any state.
Every byway in Colorado is signed with the same marker: a blue columbine, the state flower. Once you know the logo, you start seeing it on roads you did not realize were special.
The problem with most byway guides is that they give you twenty-six paragraphs and no way to compare. You cannot tell at a glance which routes are paved, which close for six months of the year, which need a four-wheel drive, or which are worth a September trip specifically.
So this page is a table first. Sort it, filter it, and find the drive that matches the car you have and the month you are going. The writing comes after.
How the designations break down
Four federal agencies designate byways, and Colorado's routes collect designations from all of them:
- 2 All-American Roads — the highest federal designation. Colorado's are the San Juan Skyway and Trail Ridge Road.
- 11 National Scenic Byways, designated by the Federal Highway Administration.
- 10 National Forest Scenic Byways, managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
- 3 Back Country Byways, managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Five Colorado byways hold two federal designations at once. The San Juan Skyway is both an All-American Road and a National Forest Scenic Byway. Grand Mesa, Highway of Legends and Silver Thread are each both a National Scenic Byway and a National Forest Scenic Byway. Gold Belt Tour is both a National Scenic Byway and a BLM Back Country Byway.
Proposed routes are nominated by local communities and approved by a commission whose members are appointed by the governor — which is why the list includes prairie routes and adobe trading posts alongside the alpine passes that get all the photographs.
The complete table
All 26, Sortable
Click any column header to sort. Use the filters to narrow by region, road surface or season. Everything stays on the page.
Colorado Byway Finder
All 26 byways| Route | Access | What it’s for | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine LoopDesignated 1989 | Southwest | Ouray / Silverton ↓ Lake City |
12,800 ftEngineer Pass | 4WD required Seasonal closure | Ghost towns, 12,000-foot passes and the highest four-wheeling in the San Juans. Most of the route is unimproved. High-clearance 4WD only. Cinnamon Pass is 12,640 ft. |
| Cache la Poudre–North ParkDesignated 1991 | North Central | Walden ↓ Fort Collins |
10,276 ftCameron Pass | Paved Seasonal closure | Poudre Canyon river driving into the wide open ranch country of North Park. Colorado's only federally designated Wild and Scenic River runs alongside much of it. |
| Collegiate PeaksDesignated 2015 | South Central | Poncha Springs / Salida ↓ North of Granite |
—Not published | Paved Year-round | The Arkansas River valley beneath a wall of fourteeners named after universities. Newest byway on the list alongside Tracks Across Borders. |
| Colorado River HeadwatersDesignated 2008 | Northwest | State Bridge ↓ Grand Lake |
—Not published | Some gravel Seasonal closure | Following the Colorado River from where it starts, before it becomes everyone else's water. Includes a gravel section through Gore Canyon country. |
| Dinosaur DiamondDesignated 1997 | Northwest | Grand Junction loop ↓ via Rangely & Dinosaur |
—Not published | Paved Year-round | Fossil country — quarries, track sites and canyon rims on the Utah border. 134 miles in Colorado; the loop continues 328 miles into Utah. |
| Flat Tops TrailDesignated 1991 | Northwest | Meeker ↓ Yampa |
—Not published | Some gravel Seasonal closure | Volcanic plateau, alpine lakes and the Flat Tops Wilderness. Empty in the best way. Largely gravel. No cell service for long stretches. Fuel up in Meeker or Yampa. |
| Frontier PathwaysDesignated 1998 | South Central | Westcliffe ↓ Pueblo |
—Not published | Paved Year-round | The Wet Mountains and the Sangre de Cristo range, ending at Pueblo's history museums. Westcliffe is one of Colorado's earliest certified Dark Sky Communities. |
| Gold Belt TourDesignated 2000 | South Central | Cañon City loop ↓ via Cripple Creek & Victor |
—Not published | Some gravel Seasonal closure | The gold rush that outlasted the silver crash, plus a fossil area and two dramatic canyon roads. Three alternate routes. Phantom Canyon bans vehicles over 25 ft; Shelf Road may need high clearance; High Park is paved. |
| Grand MesaDesignated 1991 | Northwest | Cedaredge ↓ I-70 exit 49 |
—Not published | Paved Seasonal closure | Climbing onto one of the largest flat-topped mountains in the world, dotted with 300 lakes. Both a National Scenic Byway and a National Forest Scenic Byway. |
| Guanella PassDesignated 1991 | North Central | Grant ↓ Georgetown |
11,669 ftGuanella Pass | Paved Seasonal closure | The classic Denver day trip. Aspen in late September and the Mount Bierstadt trailhead at the top. Weekend traffic in fall color season is severe. Park only in designated areas. |
| Highway of LegendsDesignated 2021 | Southeast | Trinidad ↓ Walsenburg / Aguilar |
—Not published | Paved Year-round | Circling the Spanish Peaks, with volcanic dikes radiating out across the plains like walls. The Spanish Peaks are a National Natural Landmark; West Spanish Peak is higher than anything farther east in the U.S. |
| Lariat LoopDesignated 2002 | North Central | Golden loop ↓ via Evergreen & Morrison |
—Not published | Paved Year-round | Red Rocks, Lookout Mountain, Buffalo Bill's grave and the foothills, all within an hour of Denver. Holds fall color latest of any byway — into mid-October. |
| Los Caminos AntiguosDesignated 2000 | South Central | Cumbres Pass ↓ Alamosa |
10,022 ftCumbres Pass | Paved Seasonal closure | The oldest towns in Colorado, the Great Sand Dunes, and a steam railroad on the New Mexico line. San Luis, founded 1851, is the oldest town in Colorado. Cumbres & Toltec Railroad is a National Historic Landmark. |
| Mount Blue SkyDesignated 1991 | North Central | Idaho Springs ↓ Bergen Park |
14,130 ftRoad high point | Paved Seasonal closure | The highest paved road in North America, climbing over 7,000 feet to just below a 14,000-foot summit. Reopened Memorial Day weekend 2026 after nearly two years of construction. Timed entry now run by Denver Mountain Parks. No vehicles over 30 ft on SH 5. |
| Pawnee Pioneer TrailsDesignated 1992 | Northeast | Ault ↓ Sterling / Fort Morgan |
—Not published | Some gravel Year-round | Shortgrass prairie and the Pawnee Buttes. The anti-mountain drive, and genuinely worth it. Pawnee National Grassland. Raptor closures apply near the Buttes in nesting season. |
| Peak to PeakDesignated 1989 | North Central | Black Hawk ↓ Estes Park |
—Not published | Paved Year-round | Colorado's original byway. The Indian Peaks on your left the entire way to Rocky Mountain National Park. Designated 1989, in the program's first year. Central City/Black Hawk is a National Historic Landmark district. |
| San Juan SkywayDesignated 1989 | Southwest | Durango loop ↓ via Silverton, Ouray & Telluride |
11,018 ftRed Mountain Pass | All-American Road Paved Year-round | The best drive in Colorado. Four passes, three National Historic Landmarks and the Million Dollar Highway. All-American Road. The Silverton–Ouray section has minimal guardrail and heavy avalanche control in winter. |
| Santa Fe TrailDesignated 1991 | Southeast | New Mexico line ↓ East of Holly |
—Not published | Paved Year-round | The actual wagon route, with Bent's Old Fort and the Amache National Historic Site along it. 188 miles in Colorado, continuing 381 miles through New Mexico. |
| Silver ThreadDesignated 1989 | South Central | South Fork ↓ West of Gunnison |
11,530 ftSlumgullion Summit | Paved Seasonal closure | Creede, Lake City, waterfalls and a massive slow-moving earthflow you can stand on. The Slumgullion Earthflow is a National Natural Landmark. Crosses the Divide at Spring Creek Pass, 10,898 ft. |
| South Platte River TrailDesignated 1991 | Northeast | Julesburg loop ↓ via Ovid |
—Not published | Paved Year-round | Pony Express and Overland Trail country in Colorado's far northeast corner. Shortest byway on the list and almost entirely overlooked. |
| Top of the RockiesDesignated 1993 | South Central | Aspen ↓ Minturn / Copper Mountain |
12,095 ftIndependence Pass | Paved Seasonal closure | Past the two highest peaks in the Rockies and through Leadville, the highest city in North America. Independence Pass closes for winter. Also crosses Fremont Pass, 11,318 ft, and Tennessee Pass, 10,424 ft. |
| Tracks Across BordersDesignated 2015 | Southwest | Durango ↓ Dulce, NM / Chimney Rock |
—Not published | Some gravel Year-round | A historic narrow-gauge rail route through Ute and Jicarilla Apache country to Chimney Rock. 89 miles in Colorado. Chimney Rock became a certified Dark Sky Park in December 2025. |
| Trail of the AncientsDesignated 1994 | Southwest | Cortez loop ↓ via Canyons of the Ancients & Hovenweep |
—Not published | Paved Year-round | Ancestral Puebloan sites at a density found nowhere else in the United States. 116 miles in Colorado; part of a 1,271-mile Four Corners system. Lowry Pueblo is a National Historic Landmark. |
| Trail Ridge RoadDesignated 1996 | North Central | Grand Lake ↓ Estes Park |
12,183 ftNear Fall River Pass | All-American Road Paved Seasonal closure | The highest continuous paved highway in North America, with eleven miles above treeline. All-American Road. Typically closed late October to late May. Requires an RMNP timed entry reservation in season. |
| Unaweep TabeguacheDesignated 1990 | Southwest | Placerville ↓ Whitewater |
—Not published | Paved Year-round | Colorado Plateau canyon country — red rock, uranium history and a canyon that drains both ways. Unaweep Canyon is one of very few canyons on Earth with a divide draining out both ends. |
| West Elk LoopDesignated 1991 | Southwest | Carbondale loop ↓ via Kebler Pass & Crested Butte |
10,007 ftKebler Pass | Some gravel Seasonal closure | Kebler Pass crosses what may be the largest contiguous aspen forest in North America. Kebler Pass is dirt but passable in a regular car when dry. Closed by snow in winter. Peak color is late September. |
No byways match all of those filters. Try clearing one.
High points are published pass or summit elevations for the named crossing; a dash means no single figure is published for that route. Surface reflects the primary route — several byways have alternate spurs with different conditions, noted in the last column. Sources: Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Commission, Colorado Tourism Office, Federal Highway Administration.
The top designation
Colorado's Two
All-American Roads
What is an All-American Road?
All-American Road is the highest federal byway designation, reserved for routes with features so exceptional they are considered destinations in themselves — roads worth driving even if you were not going anywhere. Colorado has two: the San Juan Skyway in the southwest and Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park.
San Juan Skyway
A loop through Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Telluride, Rico and Dolores, crossing four major passes: Coal Bank at 10,640 feet, Molas at 10,910, Red Mountain at 11,018 and Lizard Head at 10,222.
The stretch between Silverton and Ouray is the Million Dollar Highway, and it is the most intimidating paved road in Colorado. Narrow, carved into a cliff, and largely without guardrails. It is not technically difficult in good weather. It is psychologically difficult, and it is genuinely dangerous in snow and ice, which is why it has one of the most active avalanche control programs in the country.
Three National Historic Landmarks sit on this loop — the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, the Silverton Historic District and the Telluride Historic District. For fall color, this is the best drive in the state, and the last two weeks of September are the hardest lodging dates of the year because of it.
Allow a full day minimum. Two is better.
Trail Ridge Road
The highest continuous paved highway in North America, topping out at 12,183 feet near Fall River Pass. It crosses the Continental Divide at the considerably lower Milner Pass, 10,759 feet, which surprises people who assume the high point and the Divide are the same place.
Eleven miles of the road sit above treeline, in genuine alpine tundra. That ecosystem is the reason to stay on the pavement and the marked paths — cushion plants up there can be decades old and a boot print lasts years.
The road typically closes to through traffic from late October until late May, and the exact dates move every year with snow. Inside Rocky Mountain National Park, driving it during the timed entry season requires a reservation. A standard Timed Entry permit covers Trail Ridge Road; you do not need the more competitive Bear Lake Road version unless you are also going there.
The September question
The Best Byways
For Fall Color
Which Colorado byway is best for fall colors?
The San Juan Skyway is the best overall fall color drive in Colorado, peaking in late September. The West Elk Loop, which includes Kebler Pass and what may be the largest contiguous aspen forest in North America, is the strongest alternative. For a day trip from Denver, Peak to Peak and Guanella Pass are the standard picks and both peak in late September into early October.
Aspens turn by elevation, not by calendar date, and that single fact is what most fall color guides get wrong. Color starts high and works downhill over roughly two to three weeks.
- Above 10,000 feet — mid to late September. Kebler Pass, Independence Pass, the high San Juans.
- 8,000 to 9,500 feet — late September into the first days of October. Kenosha and Guanella passes, Peak to Peak.
- Front Range foothills, 6,000 to 7,500 feet — early to mid October. Lariat Loop holds color latest.
Drought pulls the whole sequence earlier and shortens it. Colorado came out of the 2025–26 winter with statewide snowpack near 61% of median, the lowest in the modern record, so 2026 is running early. Drought-stressed aspens also drop leaves faster and can look duller on dry exposed slopes. North-facing hillsides and drainages with reliable water will look dramatically better than a sunbaked slope a mile away. We go deeper on the timing in the best time to visit Colorado.
One practical warning. Weekend traffic on Kenosha and Guanella in late September is genuinely bad, and the Forest Service asks visitors to park only in designated areas and never on the shoulder or on vegetation. Go on a weekday if you possibly can, or go early. The color is the same on a Tuesday.
Before you turn onto it
Which Byways Need
More Than A Rental Car
Can you drive Colorado's scenic byways in a regular car?
Most of them, yes. The clear exception is the Alpine Loop, where most of the route is unimproved road requiring a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle. Several others include gravel sections that a passenger car handles fine when dry but not after rain, and the Gold Belt Tour's Shelf Road spur may require high clearance.
Three specific things worth knowing before you commit:
- The Alpine Loop is not a scenic drive, it is four-wheeling. Engineer Pass sits at 12,800 feet and Cinnamon Pass at 12,640, and most of the route is unimproved. Rent a proper vehicle in Ouray or Lake City rather than finding out halfway up.
- Length restrictions are real. Vehicles over 30 feet are not allowed on Highway 5, the Mount Blue Sky summit road. Vehicles over 25 feet are not allowed on the Gold Belt Tour's Phantom Canyon Road. If you are in an RV, check before you plan.
- Read your rental agreement. Many rental contracts prohibit driving on unpaved roads, which technically rules out Kebler Pass, the Flat Tops Trail and several other genuinely worthwhile routes. This catches people out constantly.
For live road status, closures and cameras, use COtrip.org or dial 511 from any phone in Colorado. Winter closures on high byways are enforced with locked gates, not suggestions.
Driving them well
Six Things That Make
A Byway Day Better
These roads reward slowness, which is the opposite of how most people drive them.
1. Add a third to your drive time
Mountain GPS estimates are optimistic. Switchbacks, construction, wildlife, RVs and the fact that you will actually want to stop all add up. A route that says three hours is a five-hour day with stops.
2. Fuel up before the pass, not after
Several of these routes have long gaps between gas stations, and mountain towns close earlier than you expect. The Flat Tops Trail, the Alpine Loop and much of the Eastern Plains byways will run you down to fumes if you are careless.
3. Drive it downhill for the light
On loops, the direction matters. Late afternoon light on the San Juan Skyway is dramatically better going Durango to Silverton to Ouray than the reverse, because the sun is on the peaks rather than behind them.
4. Assume no cell service
Download offline maps before you leave pavement. Large portions of the West Elk Loop, Flat Tops Trail and Alpine Loop have no coverage at all, and that is not going to change soon.
5. Watch the sky, not the clock
From mid-July into early September, afternoon thunderstorms build almost daily. On a high byway that means hail, lightning and standing water on a road with no shoulder. Our guide to reading a Colorado mountain day covers the two o'clock rule and why it applies to drivers too.
6. Stop in the towns
The byway program exists partly to route economic activity into small communities. Silverton, Lake City, Westcliffe, Paonia, La Junta and Julesburg are all more interesting than the four minutes most people give them. Buy lunch somewhere with one location.
Go deeper
Keep Planning
On this site
- Things To Do In Colorado33 places, filterable by region and season
- Best Time To Visit ColoradoMonth by month, plus fall color timing
- The 2026 Water YearWhy color is running early this year
Official sources
- CDOT Colorado BywaysThe official program pages
- COtrip.orgLive closures, cameras, chain law
- Colorado Tourism OfficeItineraries for each byway
Network
- Colorado Camping SpotsWhere to sleep along these routes
- Colorado What To DoActivity guides statewide
- Independent newsClosures, fires and breaking updates
Common questions
Byway Questions,
Answered Plainly
How many scenic byways does Colorado have?
Colorado has 26 designated Scenic and Historic Byways covering roughly 2,585 miles of roadway. The program was established in March 1989 and is one of the oldest state byway programs in the country. Twenty-one of the 26 also carry a federal designation, and Colorado's 13 combined All-American Roads and National Scenic Byways are the most of any state.
What is an All-American Road?
All-American Road is the highest federal byway designation, reserved for routes whose features are so exceptional the road itself is a destination. Colorado has two: the San Juan Skyway in the southwest, a loop through Durango, Silverton, Ouray and Telluride, and Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park.
Which Colorado byway is best for fall colors?
The San Juan Skyway is the best overall fall color drive in Colorado, peaking in late September. The West Elk Loop, which crosses Kebler Pass through what may be the largest contiguous aspen forest in North America, is the strongest alternative. For a day trip from Denver, Peak to Peak and Guanella Pass both peak in late September into early October.
Can you drive Colorado's scenic byways in a regular car?
Most of them, yes. The clear exception is the Alpine Loop, where most of the route is unimproved road requiring a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle. Several others include gravel sections that a passenger car handles fine when dry but not after rain, and the Gold Belt Tour's Shelf Road spur may require high clearance. Check your rental agreement — many prohibit unpaved roads.
Is Mount Blue Sky open in 2026?
Yes. The Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway reopened over Memorial Day weekend 2026 after nearly two years of construction on the upper road. Timed entry reservations are required, and reservations and fees are now administered by Denver Mountain Parks rather than the U.S. Forest Service. Vehicles over 30 feet are not permitted on State Highway 5.
When does Trail Ridge Road open and close?
Trail Ridge Road typically closes to through traffic from late October until late May, with exact dates set by snow conditions each year. It is the highest continuous paved highway in North America at 12,183 feet near Fall River Pass. During Rocky Mountain National Park's timed entry season you need a reservation to drive it — the standard Timed Entry permit covers it, not the more competitive Bear Lake Road version.
What is the Million Dollar Highway?
The Million Dollar Highway is the stretch of US 550 between Silverton and Ouray, part of the San Juan Skyway. It is a narrow paved road carved into a cliff face with minimal guardrail, crossing Red Mountain Pass at 11,018 feet. It is not technically difficult in good weather, but it is genuinely dangerous in snow and ice and carries one of the most active avalanche control programs in the country.
Which Colorado byways close in winter?
Byways crossing high passes generally close: Trail Ridge Road, Mount Blue Sky, Independence Pass on Top of the Rockies, Kebler Pass on the West Elk Loop, Guanella Pass, Cameron Pass on Cache la Poudre–North Park, the Alpine Loop, Grand Mesa, Silver Thread and the Flat Tops Trail all have seasonal closures or restrictions. Lower-elevation routes like the Santa Fe Trail, Lariat Loop and the plains byways stay open year-round.
How long does it take to drive a Colorado scenic byway?
Plan on adding roughly a third to any GPS estimate. Switchbacks, construction, wildlife, slow vehicles and the fact that you will want to stop all add up. The San Juan Skyway is a full day minimum and better over two. Shorter routes like Guanella Pass or Lariat Loop work as half-day trips from Denver.
How are Colorado byways marked?
Every designated Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway is signed with a blue columbine logo — the Colorado state flower. The signs are consistent statewide, so once you recognize the marker you can identify a byway from the road without a map.
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Byway conditions change every season. If a gate date, a surface or a restriction on this page is wrong, tell us and we will fix it.