Scenic Drive: Colorado – Fish Creek Falls & Rabbit Ears Pass Scenic Byway

 

Fish Creek Falls

Fish Creek Falls is a waterfall located about 5 miles to the east of Steamboat Springs, Colorado in Routt National Forest. [ See our YouTube Video ] Fish Creek runs from several small lakes in the Rabbit Ears Range of Colorado. In the summertime, the road to Fish Creek Falls becomes often clogged in mid-afternoon with tourists wanting to see the 283-foot-tall (86 m) waterfall. It is possible to hike all the way to the terminus of the waterfall through giant boulders and rushing water. There are two hiking trails from the parking lot at the end of Fish Creek Fall Road. One is 1/4 of a mile (400 m) and goes through several Aspen groves with the occasional Subalpine Fir. It ends at a viewing station where the entirety of the falls can be seen. The other trail goes straight down into the U-Shaped valley formed by glaciers. As it nears the bottom of the valley, one can hear the rushing sound of water over the fall and see beautiful Fish Creek. Continue reading ‘Scenic Drive: Colorado – Fish Creek Falls & Rabbit Ears Pass Scenic Byway’ »

Scenic Drive: Colorado – Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway

Trappers Lake

This byway cuts through the heart of the original White River Plateau Timberland Reserve, set aside in the late 19th century as the second unit of what eventually became the National Forest system. Two decades later, in a foreshadowing of the 1964 Wilderness Act, development of any kind was banned around Trapper’s Lake (the “Cradle of Wilderness”). The area’s long-standing history of preservation and multiple-use land management makes for pristine scenery and superlative wildlife viewing. Yet this remains very much a “working” byway, dotted with active mines, ranches, and timber-producing woodlands. Meeker and Yampa, the route’s two endpoints, embody the rugged individualism that lies at the heart of western lore. Continue reading ‘Scenic Drive: Colorado – Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway’ »

Scenic Drive: Colorado – Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway

Top of the Rockies - Independence Pass

Independence Pass

At 10,200 feet, Leadville is the highest incorporated community in the United States. Yet in this setting, surrounded on all sides by 14,000-foot behemoths, the city occupies the lowlands. South of town, Colorado’s two loftiest mountains – Elbert and Massive – stand side by side like Jupiter and Saturn. The colossal peaks of this area yielded fortunes of like proportions in the 19th century, as miners pulled millions of dollars’ worth of mineral from the ground. The luckiest of them, Horace Tabor, became one of the titans of Colorado’s silver industry. This 82-mile route crosses the Continental Divide twice and traces the Arkansas River nearly to its source in the vicinity of Fremont Pass. The small communities of Redcliff, Minturn, and Twin Lakes add charm. Continue reading ‘Scenic Drive: Colorado – Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway’ »

Scenic Drive: Colorado – West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway

Crested Butte

Shaped like a lasso that’s been dropped on Colorado’s pristine West Elk Mountains, the West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway unites three very different mining communities, gets within arm’s reach of four diverse wilderness areas and meanders through the Gunnison Country mountain towns of Marble, Gunnison and Crested Butte.

The twin summits of Mount Sopris and the incomparable Black Canyon of the Gunnison anchor the ends of the West Elk Loop. This magnificent landscape has been home to uncounted generations of Native Americans, most recently the Utes. White settlers originally came in search of minerals and stayed to farm and ranch.

The coke ovens at Redstone bear witness to the toil that built the communities of today. Carbondale, Hotchkiss, Crawford, Gunnison, Crested Butte and other towns offer a slice of Colorado’s rich history, varied lifestyles and natural beauty. The route gives access to the White River and Gunnison National Forests, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Curecanti National Recreational Area, and Crawford and Paonia State Parks.

Continue reading ‘Scenic Drive: Colorado – West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway’ »