Unaweep/Tabeguache Scenic and Historic Byway
Places to Visit

• Cactus Park Road (CO)

  This section of the Tabeguache trail leaves UTBW and heads to the south providing four-wheel drive access to BLM land on the Uncompahgre Plateau for camping, hiking, mountain biking, fishing and hunting.

  Location:	Mile Marker 145

• Coke Oven (CO)

  On the west side of the road is a dome-shaped coke oven built in the 1880s. Coal was heated in the oven to produce coke, a combustible material that burns practically smoke free.

  Distance from byway:	On the byway
  Directions:	Located along Hwy 141 near mile marker 83.5.

• Divide Road Turnoff (CO)

  Providing access to over 1000 square miles of the Uncompahgre National Forest and BLM lands. Divide Road runs 100 miles (161 km) over the top of the Uncompahgre Plateau to its southern end in Ridgway. Forested with Ponderosa Pine, Colorado Spruce and Aspen, the Uncompahgre National Forest provides excellent recreational opportunities as well as watershed, summer cattle grazing and other natural resources. Adventurous UTBW travelers can take a three-mile drive up the steep switchbacks of Divide Road to the old Taylor Granite Quarry where they will be rewarded with a stunning view of Unaweep Canyon. On the opposite side of Unaweep Canyon, look to the north for a large man-made opening. Here in the early 1940’s the Army Corp of Engineers conducted experiments on the effects of explosives on granite.

  Location:	Mile Marker 139.8

• Dominguez and Escalante Expedition Historic Marker (CO)

  While searching for a route to Santa Fe, New Mexico, Franciscan friars, Francisco Dominguez and Silvestre Escalante explored much of southwest Colorado. This marker commemorates their journey.

  Location:	Mile Marker 62.1

• 

  Driggs Mansion and Interpretive Sign (CO)

  Driggs Mansion was built in 1914 by a wealthy New Yorker – some say for his beloved wife, others say he built it as a hunting lodge. The walls were cut from sandstone from the surrounding canyons. Take some time to read the interpretive sign next to the highway to learn more about this historical structure.

  Distance from byway:	On the byway
  Directions:	Located along Hwy. 141 near mile marker 129.6.

• East Creek Day Use Area (CO)

  In the narrows of East Creek, cottonwood trees reach for the sky and provide stunning contrast to the red sandstone walls. These trees are fed by the seasonally flowing East Creek. As the eastern drainage for snowmelt and heavy monsoonal rains, East Creek runs east from top of Unaweep Canyon’s divide to the Gunnison River. The East Creek Day Use Area is managed by the BLM and is a great place for hiking and horseback riding. In the winter, keep your eyes open for Desert Big Horn Sheep nimbly perched on the slabs of sandstone.

  Location:	On the byway, Mile Marker 150.

• East Creek Entrance (CO)

  This spot marks the northern end of the Unaweep/Tabeguache Scenic and Historic Byway.

  Distance from byway:	On the byway
  Directions:	Located on Hwy. 141 near mile marker 152.

• Gateway Colorado Automobile Museum (CO)

  This museum tells the engaging story about the marvels of automotive history and the revolution in personal transportation brought about by the invention, production and marketing of the American automobile. This story is so broad in scope that it takes a 30,000 square foot (2787 sq. meter) facility to house the collection of more than 40 cars.

  Location:	Mile Marker 111.4

• Gateway Community Park (CO)

  The Gateway Community Park has a shaded picnic area, drinking water and toilet facilities. An interpretive display features additional information on the history of the area.

  Distance from byway:	On the byway
  Directions:	The city of Gateway is located on Hwy. 141 near mile marker 111.4.

• Grand Valley Overlook Interpretive Sign (CO)

  At the crest of Nine-Mile Hill, UTBW travelers are awed by the expansiveness of Colorado River’s Grand Valley. The irrigated green of the valley stands in stark contrast to the desert’s Bookcliff mountain range in the north. The prominent point on the east end of the Bookcliff’s is Mt. Garfield rising to an elevation of 6765 feet (2062 m). The northern rim of the Grand Mesa can also be seen from this vantage point.

  Distance from byway:	On the byway
  Directions:	Located on Highway 141 at mile marker 146.