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Epic Colorado Scenic Drives

January 6, 2021

Colorado is home to some seriously unique places, and there’s no better way to see and experience it than by car. This is especially true as it’s also a vast territory and wilderness playground with all sorts of curious hidden gems tucked away in cute little mountain towns. It’s a natural wonderland that you can’t help but want to explore.

The high mountain roads are a destination in themselves. Travelers can adventure to the top of a 14,000-foot mountain (or a 14er as we call them here), see mountain goats, cruise along gorgeous rivers, look out over the Continental Divide, view North America’s tallest sand dunes, roam between ghost towns and retrace the historic steps of the Gold Rush.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a collection of the most beautiful scenic drives in Colorado to fuel your road trip wanderlust.

Happy exploring! ❤️

trail ridge road

DRIVE TIME FROM DENVER — 2.5 HOURS

Trail Ridge Road is a must-see thing to do while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. If you’re limited on time and have to choose which high mountain road to drive in Colorado, make this your priority.

Open from approximately Memorial Day to mid-October, Trail Ridge Road is the highest continually paved road in the United States, rising to 12,183 feet with several hairpin turns and absolutely gorgeous views along the way.

There’s a good chance you’ll see elk, and they won’t be hard to miss as tourists will be rubbernecking and slowing traffic to a near halt. Because of this, it’s a good idea to have your camera ready before you even start your drive through the park. The roads are narrow in some places, and there aren’t always great opportunities to pull off and snap a picture. But if traffic is stopped, and your camera is ready, you might get lucky.

Driving Trail Ridge Road from Estes Park to Grand Lake

Looking for a great Colorado road trip idea for summer? As a Colorado local, I would highly recommend driving Trail Ridge Road from Estes Park to Grand Lake. Situated on an alpine lake (that’s also rumored to be haunted), Grand Lake offers all sorts of fun things to do. You can get into boating of all sorts, including paddleboarding and kayaks you can rent by the hour. There’s also a public beach for sunbathing and swimming. And with Rocky Mountain National Park nearby, there are endless options for hikes, including the Adams Falls hike that isn’t far from the center of town.

Plan at least two hours to drive the entire 48 miles of Trail Ridge Road from Estes Park to Grand Lake. There are several pull-offs with opportunities for picnicking and photography along the way. Visit our recent article on Grand Lake for a local’s guide on where to eat, wander, and play in this gorgeous Colorado mountain town.

Local’s Tip: Want to see something unique? Head up to Rocky Mountain National Park in the Spring when Trail Ridge Road reopens for the season. Crews spend weeks digging out the road, portions of it flanked by massive snowbanks and showing off just how much snow we get in the Colorado mountains during winter.

Pikes Peak Highway

DRIVE TIME FROM DENVER — 1.5 HOURS

Pikes Peak Highway is a truly amazing scenic drive near Colorado Springs that allows visitors to drive to the top of the 14,115-foot Pikes Peak summit. Though the Pikes Peak Highway is open year-round, the weather is extremely unpredictable. Anyone considering driving Pikes Peak should check the conditions first by calling Call 719-385-7325 and selecting option 1 for current road conditions.

Due to high winds and tight twists and turns, this drive might not be for everyone. It has a reputation for being scary. It’s also not free. With that said, the price of admission is well worth the experience, and travelers can even purchase their tickets online and in advance.

Local’s Tip: Fuel up and allow at least 2-3 hours for the round-trip experience. It’s only a 19-mile drive, but traffic is slow going up the mountain. As with checking the conditions, it’s critical to double check the hours. At certain times of the year, the uphill gates close as early as 3:00 PM.

lookout mountain

DRIVE TIME FROM DENVER — 30 minutes

Lookout Mountain in Golden is a scenic route that winds up a 7,377-foot peak overlooking Golden, Colorado. It’s a perfect option if you’re visiting Denver or anywhere along the Front Range and you want something relatively quick to do while still getting a great mountain experience.

It’s also a nice destination for the winter months when some of the higher mountain roads might be closed or impassible or if you’re perhaps not too keen on mountain driving. There’s no shame in this, by the way. If you come from a lower elevation or flatland destination with little to no hills, driving in Colorado can be a downright white knuckle experience. Not to mention, at higher altitudes, your car can be side-swiped by some pretty hefty gusts. Oh, and they don’t seem to believe in guard rails here either, definitely adding to the fright factor.

Local’s Tip: The summit is also home to the final resting place of William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Visitors can check out a museum and gravesite dedicated to the Wild West buffalo hunter.

scenic rim rock drive - colorado national monument

DRIVE TIME FROM DENVER — 4 HOURS

To see some stunning red rock scenery, head to Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction and the Colorado-Utah border and drive the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive, one of the most impressive scenic drives in the United States. There are several overlooks along the drive and several short trails for visitors to take in more vistas of its beautiful red rock canyons.

Local’s Tip: If you’re visiting western Colorado and Rim Rock Drive, you’re about 2 hours away from Arches and Canyonlands National Park, two of what’s known as the Mighty Five National Parks in Utah. You’re also about 1.5 hours away from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado.

mount Evans scenic byway

DRIVE TIME FROM DENVER — 1 hour

The road ascending 14,130-foot Mount Evans in Colorado is the highest paved road in North America. Drivers can see alpine lakes, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, marmots, birds, and bristlecone pines on this 28-mile journey to the top. Typically open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, weather and snowfall can impact its opening. And in 2020, the road remained closed for the entire summer due to COVID-19. Check the fees and operating hours for entering the Mount Evans Recreation Area in advance of your trip.

Local’s tip: Echo Lake Campground is a great option for camping nearby. It’s a developed campground and very popular, so you’ll need to make reservations in advance. Idaho Spings is a picturesque mountain town 45 minutes drive to the north with great cafes, restaurants, bars, and local shops, and it isn’t extremely touristy.

Last dollar road

DRIVE TIME FROM DENVER — 6 HOURS

Last Dollar Road is a bumpy, unpaved scenic road connecting Telluride and Ridgway, Colorado. Popular in the summer and fall, this hidden gem routes travelers through dense Aspens within the San Juan National Forest and offers absolutely gorgeous mountain views along the way.

Local’s tip: For a more immersive experience, check out a hut-to-hut hiking adventure through San Juan Huts. Hikers can explore the north side of the Sneffels Range, hiking between four backcountry huts for a lighter backpacking experience, or they can use the huts as a base camp for exploring the surrounding terrain.

Independence Pass

DRIVE TIME FROM DENVER — 2.5 HOURS

Independence Pass is part of the Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway and rises 12,095 feet above gorgeous meadows and through forested areas and high mountain terrain. The fourth highest paved road in Colorado, this high mountain road connects the historic mining town of Twin Lakes, Colorado to the luxury skiing mecca of Aspen.

Drivers can park at the summit and walk a short trail that overlooks the Continental Divide. Independence Pass closes for the winter at the end of October, reopening around Memorial Day.

Local’s Tip: Twin Lakes is a must-see Colorado destination featuring historical buildings and offering visitors a glimpse into Colorado’s mining past. If you’re up for a unique hike, trek out to Interlaken, a late 1800s ghost resort that once attracted some of the wealthiest residents in Colorado.

Million Dollar Highway

DRIVE TIME FROM DENVER — 5.5 HOURS

The Million Dollar Highway has long been considered one of the most scenic drives in the United States. Stretching for 25 miles between the towns of Ouray and Silverton, Colorado, this beautiful route twists and climbs up three high mountain passes. The views are breath-taking, as are the drop-offs outside your window. As so many of Colorado’s dangerous roads have no guardrails, drivers need to take extra caution even in normal conditions and avoid routes like this altogether during inclement weather.

Local’s Tip: Don’t miss Ouray’s Box Cañon Falls, a spectacular 285-foot waterfall that spills into a narrow quartzite canyon.

Scenic US Highway 50 along Curecanti and Gunnison river

DRIVE TIME FROM DENVER — 5 HOURS

U.S. Highway 50 between the town of Gunnison and Montrose is a lesser-known scenic drive in Colorado that is an added reason to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. This gorgeous route runs alongside the Gunnison River and the three reservoirs within the Curecanti National Recreation Area. There are numerous opportunities for camping, fishing, hiking, swimming, and boating in Curecanti. You can also view or hike the Dillon Pinnacles, a cluster of towering volcanic rock formations that rise above Blue Mesa Reservoir.

Local’s Tip: Be sure to visit the Museum of the Mountain West in nearby Montrose, Colorado. This hidden gem of Old West history and culture is a must-see spot to explore early frontier relics and maybe even ghosts.

gold belt scenic byway tour

DRIVE TIME FROM DENVER — 2 HOURS

The Gold Belt Tour is a series of scenic byways that allow visitors to retrace historic routes of the Gold Rush era in Colorado. Each of the four roads offers distinctly different scenery, traveling through spooky mining tunnels, alongside abandoned towers and red rock formations, and through lands where petrified forests and dinosaur fossils remain. If you’re fascinated by Colorado history or mining lore, this is a scenic tour you don’t want to miss. Start with this interactive map highlighting some of the sights on just one of the routes, Phantom Canyon Road.

Local’s Tip: Traveling between the roads of the Gold Belt Tour can be extremely slow-going. It would be challenging to travel them all in one day and perhaps impossible during the winter months. Stay overnight—we recommend The Black Monarch boutique hotel in Victor—and take your time exploring the area.

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Image Credits:

Trail Ridge Road: Sean Xu - stock.adobe.com; Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; Ryan - stock.adobe.com |Pikes Peak: John Hoffman - stock.adobe.com; Noah Glynn/Unsplash | Lookout Mountain: Cary Leppert/Traildog Artisans - stock.adobe.com | Rim Rock Drive: Hugh - stock.adobe.com; Drew Bernard/Unsplash | Mount Evans: bwolski - stock.adobe.com; Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities | Last Dollar Road: Craig Zerbe - stock.adobe.com | Independence Pass: Rosemary: stock.adobe.com; Andriy Blokhin - stock.adobe.com | Million Dollar Highway: Craig Zerbe - stock.adobe.com | Curecanti: CascadeCreatives - stock.adobe.com; Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities | Gold Belt Scenic Byway: Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities | Best Gear for Wilderness Exploring: mumemories - stock.adobe.com | Honda Element Car Camper Conversion: Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities | How to Find the Best Campsites: tolstnev - stock.adobe.com | Camping Feature: alexlukin - stock.adobe.com