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Byway: Colorado - Top of the Rockies
Byway Description: With altitudes seldom dipping below 9,000 feet, this byway is worthy of its name. It crosses the 10,424-foot Tennessee Pass enroute to the historic mining town of Leadville, the highest incorporated community in the U.S. Old mining camps attest to the state's rich mining heritage. The route crosses the Continental Divide twice and traces the Arkansas River nearly to its source in the vicinity of Fremont Pass. The byway provides access to one of the largest concentrations of Congressionally designated Rare II Wilderness in the nation.
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Km |
Miles |
Road Item |
Road Summary |
0.0
(204.1) |
0.0
(126.8) |
Leadville, Colorado
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Leadville, Colorado, is a city in Lake County, Colorado, situated at an elevation of 10,152 feet (3094 m). A former silver mining camp that lies near the headwaters of the Arkansas River in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the city includes the Leadville Historic District, which preserves many historic structures and sites from Leadville's dynamic mining era. This is where Top of the Rockies Byway starts from. The Byway crosses the Continental Divide twice and traces the Arkansas River. Byway branches out in three different directions from Leadville, Colorado.
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1.6
(202.5) |
1.0
(125.8) |
McWethy Drive
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McWethy Drive, Turquoise Lake Road, Sugar Loafing Campground located near Turquoise Lake, Turquoise Lake, a lake located west of Leadville, Colorado. Ice-Fishing is popular in Turquoise Lake during winter.
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3.4
(200.7) |
2.1
(124.7) |
Lake County Airport
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Lake County Airport, is a county-owned public-use airport located just off United States Highway #24.
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6.2
(197.9) |
3.9
(123.0) |
State Route #300
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State Route #300, Leadville National Fish Hatchery, Colorado
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9.7
(194.4) |
6.0
(120.8) |
Crystal Lake
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Crystal Lake, Colorado, located on the Arkansas River Basin, along United States Highway #24, Road to Lake County Airport, Colorado
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11.8
(192.3) |
7.3
(119.5) |
County Road 52/Empire Valley Drive
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County Road 52/Empire Valley Drive, Beaver Lake Estates, Beaver Lakes, located off byway Top of the Rockies, Colorado
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17.3
(186.8) |
10.8
(116.1) |
Hayden Ranch
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Hayden Ranch, a historic ranch, Hayden Ranch interpretive signage, located along the United States Highway #24 on Arkansas River Basin, Colorado
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24.0
(180.1) |
14.9
(111.9) |
Junction
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Junction State Highway #82, Here Byway Top of the Rockies switches over its run on State Highway #82 and turns west towards Twin Lakes, Colorado. Community of Granite, Colorado, Community of Princeton, Colorado lie on United States Highway #24 south of here.
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27.8
(176.3) |
17.3
(109.6) |
Twin Lakes
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Twin Lakes Reservoir, a reservoir located on Byway Top of the Rockies, Colorado. Twin Lake Campsite, Mount Elbert is viewed at the back drop of the Twin Lakes Reservoir.
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30.5
(173.6) |
19.0
(107.9) |
Access to Twin Lakes
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Access to Twin Lakes Reservoir, South Trail to Mount Elbert, Cellegiatte Peaks, Colorado
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34.4
(169.7) |
21.4
(105.5) |
Twin Lakes, Colorado
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Twin Lakes, Colorado, a town located in Lake County, Colorado, where Twin Lakes Reservoir is located. This is where the Twin Lakes leg of the Byway Top of the Rockies, end.
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69.4
(134.7) |
43.1
(83.7) |
Healy House Museum
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Healy House Museum, is now a Colorado State Historic Site and is operated as a Victorian era museum by the state, together with Dexter Cabin. The two are located within the Leadville Historic District, which is itself a National Historic Landmark.
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70.3
(133.8) |
43.7
(83.1) |
Leadville North, Colorado
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Mountain View Drive, Leadville North, Colorado, a community in Lake County, Colorado. Turquoise Lake,
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71.0
(133.1) |
44.1
(82.7) |
Junction
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Junction of United States Highway #24 and State Highway #91, both routes are part of the Byway Top of the Rockies, Colorado.
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73.2
(130.9) |
45.5
(81.3) |
Trail Road
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A Trail Road at Tennessee Pass on United States Highway #24 in Colorado
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74.6
(129.5) |
46.4
(80.5) |
Leadville Army Airfield
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Leadville Army Airfieldd is an abandoned World War II airfield located along United States Highway #24 north west of Leadville, Colorado.
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79.1
(125.0) |
49.2
(77.7) |
County Road 21
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County Road 21, Morton Lake,
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85.0
(119.1) |
52.8
(74.0) |
Tennessee Pass Road
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Tennessee Pass Road, Cooper Loop, Ski Cooper, a ski resort located near the Tennessee Pass, Colorado. Tennessee Pass, is high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado in the United States. The pass traverses the continental divide north of Leadville in a gap between the northern end of the Sawatch Range to the west and the northern end of the Mosquito Range to the east. It connects the headwaters of the Arkansas River to the south with the upper valley of the Eagle River (in the watershed of the Colorado River) to the north. The pass connects Leadville and Interstate 70 in the Eagle Valley by U.S Highway #24. The summit of the pass is the location of Ski Cooper, a ski area in the San Isabel National Forest, Colorado.
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89.8
(114.3) |
55.8
(71.0) |
Mitchel, Colorado
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Jones Gulch Road, Community of Mitchel, Colorado
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104.9
(99.2) |
65.2
(61.6) |
Redcliff , Colorado
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Red Cliff, Colorado, is a town located in Eagle County, Colorado, The town is a former mining camp, situated in the canyon of the upper Eagle River just off United States Highway #24 north of Tennessee Pass. Red Cliff Bridge is an arch bridge near Vail, Colorado that carries U.S. Highway 24 over the Eagle River. This Bridge is listed on the Register of Historic Places.
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109.1
(95.0) |
67.8
(59.0) |
Gilman, Colorado
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Gilman is an abandoned mining town in Eagle County, Colorado.
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113.2
(90.9) |
70.3
(56.5) |
Tigiwon Road
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Tigiwon Road, Minturn Aquaduct, Bolts Lake,
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118.1
(86.0) |
73.4
(53.4) |
Minturn, Colorado
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Minturn, Colorado, is a community in Eagle County, located on United States Highway #24,
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119.8
(84.3) |
74.4
(52.4) |
Minturn, Colorado
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At the Junction of United States Highway #24 with Interstate Highway #70 near Minturn, Colorado ends this branch of the Byway Top of the Rockies from Leadville, Colorado.
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176.8
(27.3) |
109.9
(17.0) |
Birdseye, Colorado
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Birdseye, Colorado,
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181.6
(22.5) |
112.8
(14.0) |
Fremont Pass
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Fremont Pass, is a high mountain pass situated at an elevation of 11,318 ft. in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The pass provides a route between the upper valley of the Blue River (a tributary of the Colorado River, with the headwaters of the Arkansas River to the south.
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186.9
(17.2) |
116.1
(10.7) |
Climax Molybdenum Mine
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Climax Molybdenum Mine, this Mine is located at the summit of the Fremont Pass at Climax, Colorado.
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187.8
(16.3) |
116.7
(10.1) |
Road Access
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Road Access to Buffehr Lake, Chalk Mountain Reservoir, Robinson Lake, at Climax, Colorodo.
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188.4
(15.7) |
117.1
(9.8) |
Climax, Colorado
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Climax, Colorado, a community located in Summit County, Colorado on State Highway #91 at Fremont Pass on the Rocky Mountains of Colorado
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190.7
(13.4) |
118.5
(8.3) |
Robinson Lake
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Robinson Lake, Robinson Tailing Pond, located just off State Highway #91, Colorado at Fremont Pass.
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193.0
(11.1) |
119.9
(6.9) |
Clinton Lake
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Clinton Gulch Dam Reservoir on Fremont Pass,
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194.8
(9.3) |
121.0
(5.8) |
Mayflower Gulch trailhead
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Old State Highway #91, Mayflower Gulch, Mayflower Gulch trailhead, Ten Mile Range, located off State Highway #91, near Copper Mountain and Jacque Peak, on the Rocky Mountains, Colorado
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204.1
(0.0) |
126.8
(0.0) |
Copper Mountain, Colorado
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Copper Mountain, is a mountain located in Summit County, Colorado, it is a popular ski resort, provides golf and mountain biking activities during the warmer months. The ski area features beginner slopes, intermediate slopes and expert terrain, apart from an advanced "double black diamond" slopes, located on the two peaks above 12,000 feet (Copper and Union Peaks), for expert-only bowls: Copper Bowl, Union Bowl, Spaulding Bowl, and Resolution Bowl. At the Junction of State Highway #91 with Interstate Highway #70 at Wheeler Junction, Colorado, Byway Top of the Rockies end.
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