Location: Traverses the Grand Mesa National Forest in Western Colorado, east of Grand Junction
Length: 63 miles (101 km)
Time To Allow: 2 hours

Description/Highlights/Points of Interest

This "playground in the sky" climbs through the rugged Canyon of Plateau Creek to the cool evergreen forests of the mesa top, 11,000 ft. above sea level. Catch a peek at porcupines, marmots, red fox, elk, deer and black bears. The route passes by hundreds of sparkling lakes and through wildflower meadows and forests of shimmering aspen and aromatic pine. Take a side trip to Lands End Overlook where the Grand Valley unfolds more than a mile below.

Suggested Itinerary

The unique "Y" shape of this byway means that any complete tour will eventually double back on itself, offering the visitor to experience this scenic route from both the passenger and the driver seat. Visitors may begin this tour in either of two locations: starting from the Lands End Observatory and proceeding south or starting from the town of Cedaredge and proceeding north. If you are beginning this tour from Cedaredge, start at the bottom of the list and move up!

The southwest spur of the byway ends at the spectacular views around the Lands End Observatory. This structure, which is listed on the register of historic sites, was built in the late 1930s as a Public Works project. It is perched on the edge of Grand Mesa and offers views of the valley 6,000 feet (1829 m) below and the La Sal Mountains in Utah to the west.

Once you return back to Highway 65, proceed south to the sign for the Land-O-Lakes Overlook. Due to the area's unique geology, the Grand Mesa is dotted with over 300 streams and reservoirs. A 100-yard (91.4 m) trail to this overlook provides a great view that displays many of these lakes and the West Elk Mountains in the east.

The Grand Mesa Visitor Center is a beautiful log structure located at the intersection of Highway 65 and Forest Development Road 121. It is open from 9 to 5, seven days a week from June to September with the same hours on weekends for most of the rest of the year. This facility provides visitor information, sales of interpretive materials and an interpretive hiking trail.

In the town of Cedaredge, visit the Cedaredge Welcome Center and Pioneer town. Exhibits are open to the public from 9 to 5, seven days a week from Memorial day to Labor Day. The facilities provide visitor information, exhibits and a tour of a reconstructed town which depicts the life of early pioneers in the area.

The following organization offers trips near the Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway:

National Parks and Lake Powell
Tauck World Discovery
Discover the grandeur of five magnificent national parks in Arizona and Utah, featuring accommodations that are “inside the park” in Zion and along the Grand Canyon’s coveted North Rim. Enjoy three-nights at a deluxe ranch in Moab on the banks of the Colorado River, and two days aboard a houseboat on Lake Powell.