Skyline Drive in Colorado: You're Literally on a Little Strip of Roadway on Top of a Mountain
Usa, north-america
4.1 km
137 m
hard
Year-round
Skyline Drive, just west of Cañon City in central Colorado, is a total hidden gem! This one-way paved road is only 2.6 miles long, winding from U.S. 50 up to Floral Avenue. It’s free, but the views come at a price: nerves of steel!
Back in 1905, inmates from the local prison carved this single-lane road into the top of a razorback ridge. Talk about a work detail with a view!
Now, this isn’t your Sunday drive. Skyline Drive climbs steeply, hugging the very top of the ridge. It's seriously narrow, and with 450-foot drop-offs on both sides and NO guardrails, it's not for the faint of heart, RVs, or anything over 20 feet. Once you start, there’s no turning back! Weather can close it, especially ice, so be sure to check conditions.
But, oh, the views! Give yourself at least an hour to soak in the panoramic vistas of Cañon City and the Arkansas River Valley. There are plenty of places to pull over and snap photos. And keep your eyes peeled – dinosaur footprints were discovered here in 2001! You can even see where a whole group of Ankylosaurs strolled through the mud millions of years ago. It takes about 12-15 minutes to drive it straight through, but you'll want to stop and take it all in.
Where is it?
Skyline Drive in Colorado: You're Literally on a Little Strip of Roadway on Top of a Mountain is located in Usa (north-america). Coordinates: 40.8164, -96.0531
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 4.1 km
- Max Elevation
- 137 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 40.8164, -96.0531
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