San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway

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Coordinates: 37°53′56″N 107°42′43″W / 37.8989°N 107.7119°W / 37.8989; -107.7119 (Red Mountain Pass)
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San Juan Skyway
Scenic and Historic Byway

Route information
Maintained by CDOT
Length236 mi<[1][2] (380 km)
ExistedSeptember 1988[3]–present
Major junctions
South end US 550 / US 160 Durango
North end US 550 / SH 62 Ridgway
Location
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountiesDolores, La Plata, Montezuma, San Juan, and San Miguel counties
Highway system
  • Colorado State Highway System

The San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway is a 236-mile (380 km)

Silverton Historic District and the Telluride Historic District are National Historic Landmarks
.

It roughly parallels the routes of the narrow gauge railways:

Denver & Rio Grande along US 550 with the Silverton Railroad
bridging a part of the gap. Its origin can be traced to the Around the Circle Route promoted by the D&RG.

The San Juan Skyway overlaps with the

U.S. Highway 160 and Colorado State Highway 184. The San Juan Skyway connects with the Tracks Across Borders Scenic and Historic Byway at Durango, the Alpine Loop Back Country Byway at Silverton and Ouray, and the Unaweep Tabeguache Scenic Byway at Placerville
.

Route description

U.S. Highway 160

View of San Juan Mountains from the San Juan Skyway

Starting in

U.S. Highway 160 (US 160) west through the town of Mancos to Cortez passing the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park
.

State Highway 145

Lizard Head Peak

The byway turns north at Cortez, following State Highway 145 (SH 145) through the town of Dolores and the Dolores River into the San Juan National Forest. The byway passes through Rico, county seat of Dolores County prior to 1941. The old Courthouse still remains. From Rico the byway crosses 10,222 ft (3116 m) Lizard Head Pass and enters the Uncompahgre National Forest. Lizard Head Pass provides views of the 14,159-foot (4,316 m) El Diente Peak, the 14,246-foot (4,342 m) Mount Wilson, the 14,017-foot (4,272 m) Wilson Peak and the pass's namesake, the 13,113-foot (3,997 m) Lizard Head Peak. The byway descends near the town of Ophir past the location of the Ophir Loop of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad. A spur road heads off to the mining town turned ski resort of Telluride. The byway follows the San Miguel River to the town of Placerville.

State Highway 62

The byway turns east at Placerville onto SH 62 and follows it over Dallas Divide. There are many excellent views of the San Juan Mountains, especially of the mountains around the 14,150-foot (4,310 m) Mount Sneffels. From the top of the divide the byway descends into the town of Ridgway. The entire route of the byway from Durango to Ridgway roughly follows the route of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad.

U.S. Highway 550

The characteristic red mountains of Red Mountain Pass
Abrams Mountain above Ouray

From Ridgway, the byway turns south onto

ghost towns. Back into the San Juan National Forest the highway descends through the Chattanooga Valley to Silverton
.

From Silverton the byway passes over the 10,910-foot (3,330 m)

narrow gauge
railroad before returning to Durango.

History

The San Juan Skyway was designated as a National Forest Scenic Byway in September 1988. It was later named a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway in 1989 and an All-American Road in September 1996.[4]

Gallery

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ "San Juan Skyway". Colorado Department of Transportation. 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  2. ^ "San Juan Skyway". America's Scenic Byways. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  3. ^ Staff. "San Juan Skyway". National Scenic Byways. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  4. ^ Staff. "Official Designations". San Juan Skyway. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved September 11, 2011.

External links


37°53′56″N 107°42′43″W / 37.8989°N 107.7119°W / 37.8989; -107.7119 (Red Mountain Pass)

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