Pick-Your-Passion Itineraries / COME TO LIFE COLORADO RIVER HEADWATERS Granby TRAIL RIDGE ROAD -ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK PEAK TO PEAK NORTH CENTRAL: BASECAMP: GRANBY This area has four scenic highways you’ll want to check off your list. While your basecamp is Granby, this adventure starts with Lariat Loop near Denver, so it’s the perfect road trip if you’ve just landed at DIA. It takes you by Coors-loving Golden, the tiny mountain-town of Morrison and outdoorsy Evergreen. Get out and stretch your legs at Lair o’ the Bear Park to wander in the hills above Idledale. Take your geography class knowledge of the Continental Divide and put it to work on Peak to Peak . Wind your way through mining ghost towns, Victorian-era villages and gorgeous views of snow-capped mountains like Longs Peak. Cut across Rocky Mountain National Park along Trail Ridge Road , North America’s highest paved through-road (summer only). 70 Denver 70 LARIAT LOOP 25 GRAND MESA Grand Junction Delta WEST ELK LOOP ALPINE LOOP Colorado Springs UNAWEEP TABEGUACHE Denver SAN JUAN SKYWAY TRACKS ACROSS BORDERS TRAIL OF THE ANCIENTS Durango Wrap up on the Colorado River Head waters byway. View the upper swells of the Colorado River before it becomes one of the mightiest rivers in the United States. Finish off your trip with a soak in the hot springs at Hot Sulphur Springs. WEST CENTRAL: BASECAMP: DELTA Delta, a town with history dating back to the Jurassic period, is your homebase for the three scenic byways in this territory. Kick off your trip in the north on Grand Mesa , where the world’s largest flattop mountain and more than 300 stream-fed lakes await. Grab fresh apples from Cedaredge’s farms, and stop at the Land’s End Observa-tory for amazing views south of the town of Mesa. Shaped like a lasso, the West Elk Loop connects charming and artsy mountain towns of Carbondale, Montrose, Crested Butte and Gunnison. You’ll also have the chance to jaw drop at the beauty of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. FROM LEFT: TRAIL RIDGE ROAD SCENIC AND HISTORIC BYWAY, MILES/ANDREA BUROLLA; INDIAN PEAKS WILDERNESS NEAR GRANBY, KENNAN HARVEY. End your journey on the Unaweep Tabeguache , home to dinosaur fossils, bighorn sheep and the sandstone walls of the Dolores River Canyon. COLORADO.COM / 83
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