When you travel San Juan Skyway you will experience one of America’s most beautiful scenic drives. The “The Highway to The Sky,” is the great sampler of everything that the San Juan region of Southwestern Colorado has to offer.
On your trip to the top of Colorado, you will see gold mines, ghost towns, waterfalls and wildflowers, snowcapped peaks, historic railroads, river rafters, and fly fisherman.
Activities that are available to you along the San Juan Skyway:
- Alpine skiing at world Class Resorts
- Hot Air ballooning
- Jeeping in the Backcountry
- White water rafting
- Soaking in Natural hot springs
- Browse unique Shops and galleries
- Sailplane soaring Above the Mountain tops
- Explore Ancient Sandstone cities
- Ride the historic Railroads
- Follow the trails of the Spanish conquistadors
The skyway in The Fall
The towns along the Byway:
Telluride Colorado was once a gold and silver mining camp, now it is a world famous ski resort and a national historic district. It offers:
- Free 13 minute Gondola Ride above the town
- Authentic Victorian archecture
- A main street of designer shops and galleries
- Festival Capital of the Rockies
- Bridal Veil Falls – The Tallest in Colorado
- Site of Butch Cassidy’s first bank robbery
- The first town to have electric power
From Telluride You travel along the Skyway pass scenic Trout Lake and over Lizard Head Pass to the small town on Dolores Colorado. this is the home of:
- The Anasazi Heritage Center
- McPhee Reservoir
- The Galloping Goose Railroad Exhibit
Over the hill and into Cortez, Colorado This is Four Corners Country home of Mesa Verde National Park and A myriad of Indian arts And crafts.
The Durango Silverton Railroad
Just 60 miles east is Durango Colorado. Durango is noted for:
- The Durango Silverton Narrow gauge Railroad
- The downtown National Historic District
- The Strater Hotel
- Fort Lewis college
From Durango the Skyway travels over Coal Bank Hill (really a mountain) and the very beautiful Molas Divide (pictured on the banner logo for this website) to the old western town of Silverton Colorado Silverton offers:
- A fun Tourist Town
- Railhead for the railroad
- False front stores lining Main Street
- Old hundred Gold Mine Tour
- Victorian Architecture
Next stop is Just over Red Mountain Pass and the Million Dollar Highway to Ouray Colorado
Ouray Colorado Ouray is So beautiful that its nickname is “The Switzerland of the Rockies.” Ouray has:
- The world’s first Ice Climbing Park
- Box Canyon Fall
- Natural Hot Springs Pools
Then down the road to Ridgeway Colorado on the northern edge of the San Juan Mountain> Ridgeway is a quaint little village and the location for John Wayne’s movie western “True Grit.”
The San Juan Skyway is just a sampler of all the exciting fun you can have in southwestern Colorado.