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Colorado Scenic Byways
Trail of the Ancients (Colorado Section)
Trail of the Ancients (Colorado Section)
Length: 480 miles / 772.5 km
Map Courtesy: www.byways.org
Driving the Byway (Colorado Section)
These route descriptions include US Highways, state routes, and county roads. Some of the county roads are considered backcountry routes and are recommended only for high clearance vehicles.
1. The Trail of the Ancients is a loop route that may be started at any point along its length. Let's begin east of Cortez, Colorado, at Mesa Verde National Park on the eastern edge of the Trail. The park's entrance intersects with US-160 and is well signed. From Mesa Verde, return toward Cortez and the junction with CO-145. Turn north or right onto CO-145 and proceed to the junction with CO-184; turn left onto CO-184 and travel to the Anasazi Heritage Center. The center is well signed.
From the Heritage Center continue west on CO-184 to the junction with US-491. Turn right or north on US-491 and proceed to the junction with Montezuma County Road P, the first spur route to Sand Canyon Pueblo and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Turn west or left onto MC Road P and follow it to Sand Canyon Pueblo and the monument.
Return to US-491 via the same route. Turn left or north on US-491 and proceed to Pleasant View, Colorado, where a spur turns west onto Montezuma County Road CC and proceeds to Lowry Pueblo which is well signed. From Lowry Pueblo return to US-491 via the same route. A second backcountry alternate spur from Lowry Pueblo to Hovenweep National Monument through Canyons of the Ancients NM is to return from Lowry along MC Road CC to the junction with MC Road 10 and turn south or right onto MC Road 10, through Canyons of the Ancients NM. Proceed to the state line where the road becomes San Juan County Road 213 and leaves the monument. SJC Road 213 leads to Hovenweep National Monument. (This route is graded gravel and native surface, suitable for 4 wheel drive vehicles. It can be impassable during and immediately after inclement weather.)
If you returned to US-491 from Lowry Pueblo, you should turn north or left onto US-491 and proceed to Dove Creek, Colorado. At Dove Creek there is a third backcountry spur route into Canyons of the Ancients National Monument via Dolores County Road 6. Turn left or south onto DC Road 6 and follow it to the monument. Return to Dove Creek via the same route.
Follow US-491 north or left from Dove Creek to the gateway city of Monticello, Utah, where US-491 ends.
At Monticello, turn south or left onto US-191 and proceed 20.3 miles to Blanding. Edge of the Cedars State Park and Museum is well signed in the community. A community visitor center is on the US-191.
From Blanding continue on US-191 south for 5.7 miles to the junction with U-95. Turn west or right onto U-95 and proceed 8.6 miles to Butler Wash Indian Ruin on the right. From Butler Wash, return to U-95 and proceed west 6 miles to Mule Canyon Ruin, also well signed on the right.
From Mule Canyon return to U-95 and proceed west 10.4 miles to the junction with U-275 which is signed for Natural Bridges National Monument. Turn onto U-275 and drive 4.5 miles to the monument visitor center.
From Natural Bridges return on U-275 and U-95 to the junction with U-261. At this point you may elect to return to US-191 and avoid the 11 percent grade and 3 miles of graded gravel of the Moki Dugway farther south on U-261. If this is the chosen route you should travel via U-95 to the junction with US-191. At the junction turn south or right onto US-191 and travel to the historic community of Bluff and the Sand Island Petroglyph Panel. From Bluff continue west on US-191 to the junction with US-163 (the actual route does not turn here, but US-191 does). Continue on US-163 west to the community of Mexican Hat and access to Valley of the Gods and Goosenecks State Park.
Alternatively, if you continue south on U-261 from Natural Bridges NM, you will access Grand Gulch Primitive Area, the historic Moki Dugway, Valley of the Gods, and Goosenecks State Park before reaching the junction with US-163 north of Mexican Hat, Utah.
From Mexican Hat, US-163 continues as a spur in a southwesterly direction to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. From Monument Valley, return along US-163 to the junction with US-191 4 miles south of Bluff. Continue on US-191/US-163 through the historic community of Bluff to the junction with US-163. Turn east or right onto US-163 and continue to Montezuma Creek where US163 ends at the junction with U-262.
The second and more popular route to Hovenweep National Monument begins at the junction of US-163 and U-262. Continue east from the junction on U-262 to the community of Aneth and the junction with San Juan County Road 402. Turn north or left onto SJC Road 402 and continue to the junction with SJC Road 401. Follow SJC Road 401 to the junction with SJC Road 413, turn north or right onto SJC Road 413, and follow it to the boundary of the Navajo Reservation where the road number changes to SJC Road 213. Follow SJC Road 213 to the entrance to Hovenweep National Monument.
The spur route to Three Kiva Pueblo also begins at the junction of US-163 and U-262. Turn north onto U-262 and follow it to San Juan County Road 414, turn east on SJC Road 414, and follow it to SJC Road 446. Turn north or left onto SJC Road 446 and follow it to the boundary of the Navajo Reservation where the road number changes to SJC Road 146. Follow SJC Road 146 to Three Kiva Pueblo which is on SJC Road 146. Return to Montezuma Creek via the same route.
Once back on U-262 at either Montezuma Creek or Aneth, proceed east on U-262 to the state line where the road becomes CO-41. At the junction of CO-41 and US-160, turn south or right and proceed to the Four Corners Monument.
From Four Corners Monument drive east on US-160 to the junction with US-491, turn north on US-491, and follow it to Cortez, Colorado completing the loop.
2. On US-160, drive east from Cortez, Colorado 9.3 miles to the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park. The park entrance is well signed.
Via US-160, return from Mesa Verde NP 8.3 miles toward Cortez to the junction with CO-145. Turn north or right onto CO-145 and drive 7.9 miles to the junction with CO-184. Turn west or left onto CO-184 and drive 1.2 miles to the Anasazi Heritage Center on the right.
From the Anasazi Heritage Center, turn west or right onto CO-184 and drive 7 miles to the junction with US-491. Turn north or right onto US-491 and drive 4.5 miles to the junction with Montezuma County Road P, a spur route to Sand Canyon Pueblo and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Turn west or left onto MC Road P and continue 8.3 miles to the pueblo and monument. Return to US-491 via the same route.
Turn north or left onto US-491 and drive 14.1 miles to Pleasant View, Colorado, and the junction with Montezuma County Road CC, the spur route to Lowry Pueblo and the second spur route to Canyons of the Ancients NM. Turn west or left at the sign for Lowry Pueblo onto MC Road CC and drive 10.9 miles to the pueblo which is signed.
You may elect to drive from Lowry Pueblo to Hovenweep National Monument on a backcountry spur. If so, follow MC Road CC east for 5.4 miles to the junction with MC Road 10. Turn south or right onto MC Road 10 and follow it 18.4 miles to the Colorado/Utah state line. At the state line the route number changes to San Juan County Road 213. Continue on SJC Road 213 for 3.5 miles to the entrance to Hovenweep National Monument. This route is graded gravel and native surface, recommended for four-wheel-drive vehicles. It can be impassable during and immediately after inclement weather.
If the above described spur route is not used, you should return to US-491 and turn north (left) onto US-491. Proceed north 13.8 miles to Dove Creek, Colorado and the junction with Dolores County Road 6, a third spur to Canyons of the Ancients NM. Turn south onto DC Road 6 and proceed 14.4 miles to the boundary of Canyons of the Ancients NM. Return to Dove Creek via the same route. This road is suitable for high clearance vehicles and is not recommended during or immediately after inclement weather.
From Dove Creek turn north or left onto US-491 and proceed 23.6 miles to its terminus in the gateway city of Monticello, Utah. Edge of the Cedars State Park is well signed in the community. A community visitors center is on US-191.
At Monticello, turn south or left onto US-191 and proceed 20.3 miles to Blanding. Edge of the Cedars State Park and Museum is well signed in the community. A community visitor center is on the US-191.
From Blanding continue on US-191 south for 5.7 miles to the junction with U-95. Turn west or right onto U-95 and proceed 8.6 miles to Butler Wash Indian Ruin on the right. From Butler Wash, return to U-95 and proceed west 6 miles to Mule Canyon Ruin, also well signed on the right.
From Mule Canyon return to U-95 and proceed west 10.4 miles to the junction with U-275 which is signed for Natural Bridges National Monument. Turn onto U-275 and drive 4.5 miles to the monument visitor center.
From Natural Bridges NM there are two alternative routes to points farther south on the Trail. Vehicles pulling trailers and large motor homes are encouraged to return to US-191 -- see "(b)" below.
(a) Return via U-275 to U-95 and proceed 1.8 miles to the junction with U-261. Turn south or right onto U-261 and continue 5 miles to the Kane Gulch BLM Ranger Station on the east or left. From this station trails access Grand Gulch Primitive Area and Cedar Mesa by foot or horseback and permits are required. From Kane Gulch Ranger Station proceed 1 mile south to the trailhead for Fish and Owl Creek on the east or left side of U-261.
Continue on U-261 for 5.1 miles to the four-wheel-drive trailhead for the Mormon Trail, a historic trail on the east or left side of the road. Continue on U-261 for 1 mile where the access spur to Bullet Canyon and Grand Gulch is on the west or right side of U-261. The trailhead is 1.2 miles to the west. Continue south on U-261 for 12.1 miles to the top of the Moki Dugway, a 3-mile stretch of graded gravel switchbacks at an 11 percent grade. An overlook at the top allows a view into Valley of the Gods below and to Monument Valley on the distant southern horizon. At the bottom of the Dugway, continue another 3.2 miles to the junction with San Juan County Road 242, access to Valley of the Gods. SJC Road 242 is a spur route, graded gravel and native surface, which travels 16.4 miles through Valley of the Gods to join US-163 at a point 8.3 miles north of the junction of U-261 and US-163. High clearance vehicles are recommended. If you elect to bypass Valley of the Gods and continue on U-261, you will reach the same junction in 6.5 miles.
At the junction of U-261 and US-163, a spur route travels to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Turn west or right onto US-163, and drive 3.3 miles into the community of Mexican Hat. Cross the historic bridge over the San Juan River, and enter the Navajo Reservation. Continue on US-163 for 24.5 miles to the entrance to the Tribal Park on the south side of US-163. The park is well signed. Historic Gouldings Lodge is on the opposite side of US-163 and also well signed.
Return to Mexican Hat via the same route. At this junction continue traveling east for 16.7 miles to the junction of US-163 and US-191. Continue east on US-191 to the entrance to Sand Island Recreation Area, 0.8 miles east of the junction. Turn south or right to enter the Recreation Area. At the bottom of the hill turn right. Parking is provided, and the large petroglyph panel is on the right.
From Sand Island return to US-191; turn east or right and travel 4 miles to the historic community of Bluff.
(b) From Natural Bridges National Monument, you may elect to return to US-191 via U-95 (29.2 miles) rather than driving the steep graveled Moki Dugway. If this is the case, at the junction of U-95 and US-191 turn south (right) onto US-191. Follow US-191 south for 10.8 miles to the junction of US-191 and U-262. Driving east from this junction is an alternative route to Hovenweep National Monument.
At the junction with U-262, turn east onto U-262 and travel 8.4 miles to the junction with San Juan County Road 414. Continue east 6.7 miles on SJC Road 414 to the junction with SJC Road 401. Turn south and follow SJC Road 401 for 9.3 miles to the junction with SJC Road 413, then turn north and follow SJC Road 413 for 2.3 miles to the boundary of the Navajo Reservation where the road number changes to SJC Road 213 and continues 3.2 miles to the entrance to Hovenweep National Monument.
If you do not take this alternate route to Hovenweep National Monument you should continue southwest 10.5 miles on US-191 to the historic community of Bluff and 4 miles on to Sand Island Petroglyph Panel.
From Sand Island continue west for 18.2 miles to Mexican Hat. From Mexican Hat continue on US-163 for 24.5 miles to Monument Valley Tribal Park. From Monument Valley TP return to Bluff on US-163. On the northern edge of the community is the junction of US-191 and US-163.
Turn east onto US-163 and travel 14.6 miles to the community of Montezuma Creek on the Navajo Reservation. US-163 ends at the junction with Utah Highway 262. You may continue on U-262 for 7.4 miles to the community of Aneth and the junction with San Juan County Road 402.
Turn north or left onto paved SJC Road 402 and travel 8.9 miles to the junction with paved SJC Road 401. Turn north or left onto SJC Road 401 and travel 4.4 miles to the junction with paved SJC Road 413, follow SJC Road 413 for 2.3 miles to the boundary of the Navajo Reservation where the road number changes to SJC Road 213. Follow SJC Road 213 for 3.2 miles to the entrance to Hovenweep National Monument. The monument is well signed.
To visit Three Kiva Pueblo from the junction of US-163 and U-262, at Montezuma Creek, turn north on U-262 and travel north 14.2 miles to the junction with San Juan County Road 414. Turn east on SJC Road 414 and travel 6.7 miles to the junction with SJC Road 446. Turn north or left onto SJC Road 446, and follow it 3.4 miles to the boundary of the Navajo Reservation where it becomes SJC Road 146. Follow SJC Road 146 for 7.3 miles to Three Kiva Pueblo on the left. Return to Montezuma Creek via the same route. Once back on U-262 at Montezuma Creek, proceed east 9.4 miles on U-262 to the state line where the road becomes CO-41 and travels 9.8 miles to the junction with US-160.
At the junction of CO-41 and US-160, turn south or right and proceed 5.2 miles to the Four Corners Monument. From Four Corners Monument drive east on US-160 for 24.3 miles to the junction with US-491, turn north on US-491, and follow it 20.7 miles to Cortez, Colorado, completing the loop.
The National Scenic Byways Program recognizes highways that are outstanding examples of our nation's beauty, history, culture, and recreational experience by designating them as All-American Roads and National Scenic Byways. The roads being featured were designated by the Secretary of Transportation from nominations submitted by the states and federal land management agencies. These designations provide a compass for people from all over the world to explore America's treasured open roads.
Courtesy: www.byways.org
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