Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways

The Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways program is a statewide partnership intended to provide educational, recreational and economic benefits to Coloradans and visitors. These outstanding touring and vacation routes afford the traveler interpretation and identification of key points of interest and services while providing for the protection of natural resources.

Scenic and Historic Byways are nominated by local partnership groups and designated by the Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Commission for their exceptional scenic, historic, cultural, recreational, and natural features. A couple of new Byways have been designated since I first published this list but now (2011), contemplation of new ones has been stopped for several years. Some of the Byways' non-profit support and maintenance volunteer organizations have ceased operating but most of these Scenic and Historic Byways are in better "condition" than they were when they were first designated.

I understand that the Silver Thread has been extended to incorporate a leg from Lake City to Gunnison (we did that with the Scenic Highway of Legends, also, when we got the Apishapa Road included back in 2002). And the Tops of the Rockies Scenic Byway has been extended across Independence Pass to Aspen (Yaay!)

The big question now (2012) is will the Federal Highway Administration (and Congress) continue to fund the National Scenic Byway program... they did recently end funding for the National Scenic Byways resource office in Duluth, Minnesota.