Photo credit: William Helms
By Sonya Stephen
The Collegiate Peaks Scenic and Historic Byway was officially designated as a scenic byway in 2005, making it the 25th scenic byway in Colorado. Spanning 57 miles, this corridor runs through the heart of Chaffee County. As the state of Colorado celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, we are taking a look at this special stretch of land and how it has contributed to both the state and county’s history, economy and environmental landscape.
History
Before Colorado was a state or the US a country, indigenous people occupied what we now call Chaffee County for thousands of years. The Ute peoples lived throughout the Arkansas River Valley and beyond. Their history is still felt here in many ways, but most apparently by many of the surrounding mountain names such as Mount Ouray, Chipeta Mountain and Mount Shavano. As European settlers began making their way into this region, they brought with them industries such as mining and ranching. While ranching is still alive and well in this area today, many of the mining efforts along this route are no longer in operation. What is left are a handful of old mining towns that add to the list of historic attractions along the byway, including St. Elmo, Vicksburg, and Winfield. A few years after its designation as a scenic byway, Chaffee County’s Heritage Area Advisory Board drafted its first management plan for this corridor. This plan provided a detailed assessment of the natural, cultural, historic, scenic and agricultural heritage of the county and also assessed issues and concerns for the byway and plans for future management. In 2023, this management plan was updated in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and GARNA.
The Scenic Byway Today
In a 2016 report, scenic byways in Colorado were reported to have brought in $4.8 billion dollars between 2009 and 2014. They are clearly a tourist attraction and an important economic driver for places like Chaffee County. Designating the Collegiate Peaks Byway route as a scenic byway provides incentives to protect and preserve the heritage resources of this region. Resources include historical sites, ranches and agricultural lands, arts districts, public lands and wilderness areas, and recreational and ecological resources. The byway is also home to an abundance of animal species, notably bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, and a variety of raptors. Visitors can see a wide variety of ecological zones, including riparian zones, wetlands and uplands with forests and grasslands.
Other notable features and attractions along the byway include the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) Visitors Center and recreational sites, Browns Canyon National Monument and interpretive signage along the route that guide visitors to each location. This corridor follows the Sawatch range which is home to the highest concentration of 14ers (14,000+ foot mountains) in Colorado. Hikers can pull off the byway and access mountain trails to the tops of these peaks or other trails that explore the alpine tundra. A map of this byway can be found and downloaded online here.
Looking ahead, the Collegiate Peaks Scenic Byway is also an investment in a more sustainable future. In 2021, the state of Colorado published its Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap which created a pathway to lowering 90% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Part of this roadmap includes electrification of the state’s transportation system. One of the goals of this roadmap includes electrifying all 26 of Colorado’s scenic byways. As of now, 20 of the 26 are considered official Colorado Electric Byways, and the Collegiate Peaks is one of those 20. To be considered an Electric Byway, there must be dual-port DC charging stations at least every 15 miles along the route if the route is under 100 miles, as is the case for the Collegiate Peaks corridor. Along with lowering emissions, electric vehicle charging stations also incentivize visitors to spend time and money as their vehicles charge, bringing more money to local communities.
Whether you like to hike, fish, boat or simply relax in a natural hot spring, the Collegiate Peaks Scenic and Historic Byway has something for you. As we celebrate the 150th birthday of Colorado, we are lucky here in Chaffee County to be home to one of the most scenic stretches of highway in the state. Download the byway map, grab some friends, hop in your car and go check out what this corridor has to offer. Bonus points if that car is electric!
Did you know GARNA is the “host” for the Collegiate Peaks Scenic Byway? Our Chaffee Heritage committee works on promoting the Byway, including the newly released TravelStorys Mobile Tour. Check it out to learn some interesting tidbits about our valley!
Join us for an open house on September 26th from 2-4pm at the Buena Vista Heritage Museum to learn more about the Byway and the scenic vistas it protects.
Resources:
https://garna.org/byway-conservation-plan/
https://chaffeecountyheritage.org/colorado-byway/
https://www.codot.gov/travel/coloradobyways/south-central/collegiate-peaks
GARNA works with communities of the upper Arkansas River valley to foster the stewardship of the region’s natural environment and the resilience of our communities.