Colorado road guides
Scenic Drives from Denver: Colorado Road Guides
Use these Colorado road guides to plan a Denver-based scenic outing with a defined itinerary rather than an ambiguous road name. Options range from a foothills canyon connection to the longer Peak to Peak highway variant.
These are regional outing ideas, not a list of equally nearby or currently open roads. Pikes Peak is a farther-afield managed mountain visit; Mount Blue Sky is a closed-road planning reference for the remainder of 2026. The distance on each card is the scenic segment only, excluding your drive from Denver and the return.
Mapped routes
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Squaw Pass Road: Bergen Park to Echo Lake
Explore the mapped 17.8-mile Squaw Pass route from the Bergen Park side to Echo Lake. Preview the road, download its GPX and check mountain conditions.
Planning drive time: 50 min–1 h 15 min — excludes stops; conditions vary.
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Mount Blue Sky Summit Road: 2026 Closure Guide
Mount Blue Sky's CO 5 summit road is closed to vehicles through 2026. View a reference route from Echo Lake and official reopening and entry information.
Closure notice — reference only
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Pikes Peak Highway: Summit Drive Planning Guide
Plan the mapped 18.9-mile Pikes Peak Highway ascent from Cascade, with a route map, GPX and official admission, reservation and weather information.
Planning drive time: 1 h–1 h 30 min — excludes stops; conditions vary.
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Deer Creek and Turkey Creek: Colorado Canyon Drive
Preview a mapped 14.4-mile Deer Creek and South Turkey Creek canyon drive, with exact endpoints, a downloadable GPX and foothills driving cautions.
Planning drive time: 40 min–1 h 5 min — excludes stops; conditions vary.
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Golden to Black Hawk: US 6 and Clear Creek Canyon
Follow the mapped 18.9-mile Golden to Black Hawk route through Clear Creek Canyon on US 6 and CO 119. See the map, GPX and closure-check links.
Planning drive time: 45 min–1 h 5 min — excludes stops; conditions vary.
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Peak to Peak Highway: Black Hawk to Estes Approach
Explore the mapped 61.8-mile Peak to Peak variant from Black Hawk through Nederland and Ward to the Estes Park approach, with map, GPX and cautions.
Planning drive time: 2 h 10 min–3 h 15 min — excludes stops; conditions vary.
Seasons & weather
Check COtrip for your approach and all mapped highways. For managed summit roads, also check the operator's current access, admission and reservation rules. Denver's weather does not establish mountain-road conditions, and a GPX does not override a closure.
Questions drivers ask
Is Mount Blue Sky an available drive right now?
No. The official operator reports CO 5 closed to vehicle access through the remainder of 2026. Its guide is clearly marked for reference and future planning.
Are these routes loops?
The Colorado GPXs in this collection are one-way scenic segments. Plan the return separately.
Do the listed distances include travel from Denver?
No. They measure the mapped scenic route. Your approach and return depend on where you start and which roads are open.
Does Pikes Peak need admission or reservations?
Admission applies, and timed reservations are seasonal under the operator's published rules. Check the linked official source for the date of your visit.
Take it on the road
Get RevRoute
Free to download for iPhone and Android. Import a guide’s GPX file in the app, or open Routes > Community and find the route by its catalog name.