The "scenic route" in southwestern Colorado means the San Juan Skyway, a 236-mile loop created by U.S. Routes 550 and 160 and State Routes 62 and 145. The Skyway wends through glacial valleys and over high passes between some of the most breathtaking, ice-sculpted peaks in the Rocky Mountains. Native Americans, pioneering mountain men, miners, and railroaders inhabited these slopes. Although the Skyway towns of Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Ridgway, Telluride, Rico, Dolores, and Cortez were first connected by wilderness trails and railways, the loop's final modern section of highway between Coal Bank and Molas Passes was completed in the 1940s. The rugged San Juan Mountains were the backdrop for exploits by Butch Cassidy and Wyatt Earp, but, as author Frederic B. Wildfang notes, the scenery is also "a syllabus for a course in geology."

Part armchair travelogue, part guide book, this projected three-volume series—divided into the western, central, and eastern United States—will introduce readers to all 155 national forests across the country. This Land is the only comprehensive field guide that describes the natural features, wildernesses, scenic drives, campgrounds, and hiking trails of our national forests, many of which—while little known and sparsely visited—boast features as spectacular as those found in our national parks and monuments. Each entry includes logistical information about size and location, facilities, attractions, and associated wilderness areas. For about half of the forests, Robert H. Mohlenbrock has provided sidebars on the biological or geological highlights, drawn from the "This Land" column that he has written for Natural History magazine since 1984. Superbly illustrated with color photographs, botanical drawings, and maps, this book is loaded with information, clearly written, and easy to use. This volume covers national forests in: Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming

National forest scenic byways projects range in scope from corridor management planning to renovation of historic sites, new visitor facilities, interpretive waysides, scenic overlooks, marketing plans, and other projects. Federal Lands Highways Transportation Planning Assistance funds have made an invaluable contribution to these projects and have also leveraged grant opportunities available through FHWA National Scenic Byways Program competitive grants. These two funding sources have been the catalyst for the may outstanding community-based tourism development efforts highlighted throughout this report.

Pack up the car and enjoy thirty gorgeous drives through the soaring mountains, broad valleys, and endless plains of Colorado. This indispensable highway companion maps out short trips for exploring the state’s scenic highways and backroads, from the Rocky Mountains and Mesa Verde National Park to the Great Sand Dunes and the Santa Fe Trail. Discover the wonders of Colorado’s multi-ethnic history, ecological and topographical diversity, and magnificent beauty. Along the way, stop and explore long-deserted Anasazi Indian cities, powder-packed playgrounds for skiing nirvana, ghost towns and modern communities that retain a pioneer-era flavor, and numerous historic sites and museums detailing Colorado’s colorful past.

The most complete work published on the natural history of southwest Colorado's majestic mountain system, The Western San Juan Mountains: Their Geology, Ecology, and Human History is designed to be used while exploring the scenic 235-mile paved San Juan Skyway, which passes through Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Telluride, Dolores, and Cortez, Colorado.