Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways - 2024/2025

The roots of the Ancestral Puebloan people run deep on this slice of the Colorado Plateau. Visitors find cliff dwellings perched in high canyon alcoves and rock art decorating the sun-baked sandstone. Mesa Verde, the first national park set aside to preserve the achievements of humankind, is the big draw along the Trail of the Ancients. A World Heritage Site, the national park has more than 4,000 archaeological sites, 600 of which are cliff dwellings. Further information about the Ancestral Puebloans can be found at the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum near Dolores. The center displays artifacts and lets visitors scrutinize a number of them under microscopes. It also serves as the official visitor center to the Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, a primitive reserve nearby that harbors more than 6,000 archaeological sites including towers, villages, kivas and check dams. The final leg of the byway visits Hovenweep National Monument, loops through Utah and returns to the town of Cortez via the Four Corners, the only place in the United States where four states meet in one spot.

Distance: 480 miles • Allow 9 hours (Note: Mileage and time include Utah’s portion.)

Total elevation gain: 4,750–8,571 feet