The Alpine Loop crosses the remote, rugged heart of the San Juan Mountains. The two 12,000 foot passes (Cinnamon and Engineer) require a high clearance 4-wheel-drive vehicle. The length of this drive is 63 miles and will take anywhere from 4-6 hours to complete. Remember to go with a full tank of gas, extra food/water. The roads can be muddy and are closed in the winter. This drive offers 7 ghost towns, and 2 high alpine passes, located on BLM/Forest service wilderness. The rocky roads were first used by 19th century miners who carted their ore off to Silverton, Ouray, and Lake City in mule drawn wagons. For more information on this Byway contact: BLM Gunnison Resource Area
(970) 641-0471

Trail of the ancients is a 14 mile route across the broken, arid terrain of a former civilization is heavily laden with clues as to who were the "Ancient Ones" or the Anasazi who dominated the Colorado plateau for hundreds of years. The clues include various types of artifacts from cliff dwellings, rock art, and pottery shards. The Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores offers background and interpretive information. One branch of the byway leads to the Four Corners Area, connecting with Utah's Trail of the Ancients byway. For more information on this 3 hour historic drive contact 1-970-882-4811.

Los Caminos Antiguos will take you to Colorado's oldest surviving community (San Luis, 1851) the oldest church, and one of its first military posts. This byway also takes you to the Great Sand Dunes, which is one of natures most painstaking creations. The dunes are hundreds of feet high and have accumulated over the eons as, winds gathered and swept sand against the west face of the Sangre De Cristo Range. This byway is 129 miles long with a variable drive time of around 3 hours. Information can be obtained at 1-719-379-0034

The colorful old mining camps of the Silver Thread Scenic Byway offer history, and scenic beauty. The mountains around Creede and Lake City remain strewn with abandoned mining structures, most of them accessible via rugged back country roads. Highway 149 shadows the upper reaches of the Rio Grande, serving up a bounty of natural wonders sparkling North Clear Creek Falls, the Slumgullion earth slide, and the shark like fin of Uncompahgre Peak. These mountains can be unforgiving so be prepared before embarking on any journey. For example John C. Fremont lost 1/3 of his men in 1848 and a quarter of a century later Packer cannibalized his companions in two ill-fated winter expeditions. The Silver Thread is 75 miles in length requiring a drive time of 2 hours. It features Collier State Wildlife Area, and Rio Grande National Forest. For more information on the Silver Thread contact; South Fork Visitor Center at 1-800-571-0881, Creede Chamber of Commerce 1-800-327-2102 or the Lake City Chamber of Commerce 1-800-569-1874.

If byways could claim royal lineage, the San Juan Skyway would probably rule them all. Durango, a well preserved descendant of the Old West; picturesque Telluride, renowned for world class skiing and film, jazz, and bluegrass festivals; and Silverton and Ouray. Also Mesa Verde National Park, home to one of the densest collections of prehistoric ruins in the U.S. along with five million acres of undisturbed national forest. The road is 236 miles in length and snakes through the woods shadowed by impressive 14,000-foot peaks. The segment from Ouray to Silverton is called the "Million Dollar Highway." But you can't put a price tag on this experience. Be sure to bring a camera on this 6 hour drive, that traverse through 4 wilderness areas. For further information contact 1-970-247-4874.

The twin summits of Mount Sopris and the incomparable Black Canyon of the Gunnison anchor the ends of the West Elk Loop. The route gives access to the White River and Gunnison National Forests, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument, Curecanti National Recreational Area, and Crawford and Paonia State Parks. The magnificent 205 miles of landscape has been home to uncounted generations of Native Americans, most recently the Utes. The 6 to 8 hours required to make this loop will provide a slice of Colorado's rich history varied lifestyles, and natural beauty. Information can be obtained through 1-970-963-2266.