Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway

State: Colorado
National Forest: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests
Length: 63.0 mi / 101.4 km
Time to Allow: Two hours to drive the entire byway, or 90 minutes along Highway 65 and 30 minutes roundtrip on the spur road to Land's End

This "playground in the sky" climbs from the rugged Plateau Canyon floor to the cool evergreen mesa forests, 11,000 feet up. Featured are hundreds of sparkling lakes, wildflower meadows and forests of shimmering aspen and pine. Take a side trip to Lands End Overlook where the Grand Valley unfolds below.

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  Winter's Quiet Escape: Dinosaur Diamond and Grand Mesa

  Updated Jan 3, 2012 in Get Fit! Get Active: Go Skiing!

  While the phrase “greatest snow on earth” often conjures thoughts of the West’s many downhill ski resorts, both the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway, which spans the border between Utah and Colorado, and nearby Grand Mesa Scenic Byway in Colorado take skiers off the slopes and open up a world of snow-covered beauty outside the confines of organized downhill skiing. Take these byways through Utah’s Manti-La Sal and Ashley National Forests, and Colorado’s Grand Mesa National Forest, and you’ll find no shortage of scenic grandeur on your frosty cross-country skiing adventures.

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  Sleds on the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway

  Feb 16, 2010

  Like to snowmobile? Travel along Colorado's Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway during the winter and find miles of groomed snowmobile trails to sink your sled into. Snow blankets the mesa in the winter, offering many play areas where you can catch majestic views of one of the largest flat-topped mountains in the world as well as other places of natural beauty and wonder, such as Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry, Bridal Veil Falls, and more than 300 lakes. The mesa is covered with these lakes, and in the wintertime, their icy, tree-surrounded expanses are a beauty to behold. You won't want to miss anything, so pack up your snowmobile and head out on an exceptional winter excursion.

See all 3 Stories for Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway

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  1-Day Trip: Grand Mesa Must See Tour
  (Colorado)

  The impressive Grand Mesa, formed by lava flows, glaciers, and erosional forces, dominates the rugged scenery in this tour. At an elevation of over...