West Elk Scenic & Historic Byway

The West Elk Loop has been described by a forest ranger as "the closest you can come to a wilderness experience in a passenger car." Even through the windshield, one is likely to see bears, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, coyotes, eagles and any variety of wildlife. The 204 miles of two lane roads through rural western Colorado touches three designated Wilderness Areas and passes through thousands of acres of National Forest. The road skirts canyon rims, follows Whitewater Rivers, plunges into deep forests and traverses desert and sagebrush plains. The West Elk Loop provides immersion in the scenery, history and the culture of Western Colorado. A popular route is to start in Gunnison and head north on Colorado Highway 135 to Crested Butte, then west over Kebler Pass(a dirt road usually open Memorial Day through early November depending on snow fall), to 133 south through Paonia and in Hotchkiss take 92 east toward Crawford. Colorado Highway 92 ends on US Highway 50 at the Blue Mesa Dam, where you will head east back in to Gunnison.The late 1800s brought prospectors and miners from all over the country. When the hills had given up their gold, many of the miners stayed to help build and maintain towns by ranching. The area of Gunnison-Crested Butte was one of these places. The West Elk Loop covers 205 miles and takes 6-8 hours to travel.

The byway circles dazzling scenery. The mountain ranges and alpine wildflowers bring nature to you, and the farms and cattle ranches commemorate those who began here. The Black Canyon of Gunnison is the only canyon with such a narrow opening, steep walls, and gigantic depth. Its twin summit of Mount Sopris also towers at 12,953 feet over the town of Carbondale, the Roaring Fork and the Crystal River flowing beneath it.

With Curecanti Recreation Area along the byway, you won't have any trouble finding something to do. Made up of three reservoirs, Crystal Lake, Marrow Point Lake, and Blue Mesa Reservoir, Curecanti is popular for fishing, boating, and wind sailing. Hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, mountain biking, road biking, rock climbing, camping and picnicking are other summertime activities accessible from this byway. Snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice fishing, cross-country skiing and backcountry skiing provides wintertime entertainment in the region.

Make Gunnison your launch point to experience Historic and Scenic Byways. And as one Forest Service Ranger describes the West Elk Loop, "This is the closest you can come to a wilderness experience in a passenger car."

• Other Colorado Driving Tours
• Gunnison County Heritage Driving Tour

Visit http://www.byways.org/ for additional planning information.