The drive: This byway circles the West Elk Mountains on a journey through Paonia, Gunnison, Crested Butte and Carbondale. Touching three national forests, the drive crosses diverse landscapes of meadows, rivers, canyons and enormous aspen stands lit up in gold and orange.
Mileage: 205 miles
The drive: Travel from Fort Collins to the secluded valley of North Park where deer, elk and moose graze and quaking aspen mingle with massive forests of pine drinking from the Cache la Poudre River.
Mileage: 101 miles
The drive: Established in 1918, Colorado’s oldest scenic byway affords sweeping views of aspen-cloaked valleys and the Continental Divide as it snakes from the mining-belt casino towns of Black Hawk and Central City to Estes Park.
Mileage: 55 miles
For maps and more scenic and historic byways, visit the Colorado Department of Transportation’s website.
