19 America’s great canyon-carver — the Colorado River — has its humble beginnings high in the mountains of its namesake. This route traces the upper reaches of the river and connects a series of ranching communities. Grand Lake takes its name from Colorado’s largest natural lake, where residents have been holding an annual sailing regatta since 1912. To the north of Grand Lake, in the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, the Colorado River begins as a stream of snowmelt, but by the time the byway crosses it near Hot Sulphur Springs, the river has gained considerable size. As the Grand County seat, Hot Sulphur Springs has played a big role in the area’s history, much of which can be discovered at the Pioneer Village Museum. Farther downstream lies Kremmling, which serves as a gateway to Gore Canyon, a stretch of the Colorado that is legendary among kayakers and rafters. The byway eventually merges with a maintained dirt road that follows the river through an arid valley to State Bridge. Rocky Mountain National Park Rocky Mountain Repertory Grand Lake Theatre Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests 40 HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS 125 GRAND LAKE Shadow Mountain Reservoir 134 KREMMLING Ri 40 GRANBY Lake Granby r ve C or ol ad o Gore Canyon 40 9 Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests STATE BRIDGE 131 70 White River National Forest 24 91 Distance: 80 miles • Allow 2 hours Total elevation gain: 7,050–8,369 feet
Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways 2024/2025: Page 19
