Colorado has 24 scenic byways mapped in the US Department of Transportation data, together covering about 3,983 miles of road. The longest is the Trail of the Ancients, running roughly 945 mapped miles. This interactive map plots every Colorado scenic byway — filter by designation, search any town or address, and click a route for its details.
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Scenic Byways
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Miles Mapped
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All-American Roads
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National Scenic Byways
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Route data: US Department of Transportation scenic byway layers (geo.dot.gov). Location search by OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Routes show the mapped corridor and are for reference only – check current conditions before travelling.
How to use the Colorado scenic byways map
The map opens framed on Colorado. Each line is one scenic byway, coloured by designation. Zoom with the scroll wheel, click any route to see its name, designation, administering agency and mapped length, and use the designation checkboxes or the name filter to focus on the routes you want. Some byways continue across the state line — their full mapped length is shown.
Scenic byways in Colorado
Every scenic byway recorded in Colorado, with its designation and mapped length. Routes that run into neighbouring states are listed at their full length.
Scenic byway
Designation
Mapped length
Trail of the Ancients
National Scenic Byway
945 mi
Santa Fe Trail
National Scenic Byway
543 mi
Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway
National Scenic Byway
450 mi
San Juan Skyway
National Scenic Byway
235 mi
Dry Cimarron Scenic Byway
State Scenic Byway
224 mi
West Elk Loop
State Scenic Byway
198 mi
Los Caminos Antiguos
State Scenic Byway
149 mi
Pawnee Pioneer Trails
State Scenic Byway
142 mi
Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway
National Scenic Byway
131 mi
Unaweep/Tabeguache Scenic and Historic Byway
State Scenic Byway
131 mi
Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway
National Scenic Byway
93 mi
Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway
State Scenic Byway
80 mi
Guanella Pass Road
State Scenic Byway
77 mi
Top of the Rockies
National Scenic Byway
75 mi
Silver Thread Scenic Byway
State Scenic Byway
71 mi
Colorado River Headwaters Byway
National Scenic Byway
68 mi
Alpine Loop National Back Country Byway
Local / Other
66 mi
Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway
National Scenic Byway
61 mi
Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway
State Scenic Byway
60 mi
Collegiate Peaks Byway
State Scenic Byway
56 mi
Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow Road
National Scenic Byway
53 mi
Lariat Loop Scenic and Historic Byway
State Scenic Byway
42 mi
South Platte River Trail
State Scenic Byway
18 mi
Mount Evans Scenic Byway
State Scenic Byway
13 mi
Byway designations in Colorado
National Scenic Byway × 11 — a federally recognised route with outstanding qualities
State Scenic Byway × 13 — designated by the state scenic byway programme
Local / Other × 1 — a locally designated or back-country route
Planning a scenic drive in Colorado
Start with the headline routes. The state’s National Scenic Byways — Trail of the Ancients, Santa Fe Trail, Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway — are a strong starting point. Check seasonal conditions before you travel — mountain and back-country byways can close in winter. For overnight stops along the way, see our Colorado campgrounds map, and for a different pace try the Colorado cycling map.
Route data comes from the US Department of Transportation scenic byway layers at geo.dot.gov, harmonised into a single dataset. It reflects what the transportation agencies publish and may lag local designations. Routes show the mapped corridor and are for planning only — check current road conditions before you travel.
I'm Daniel O'Donohue, the voice and creator behind The MapScaping Podcast ( A podcast for the geospatial community ). With a professional background as a geospatial specialist, I've spent years harnessing the power of spatial to unravel the complexities of our world, one layer at a time.
