---
template: byway.jade
id: "2106"
name: Colorado River Headwaters Byway
distance: "69"
duration: 90 minutes to drive or three to six hours to enjoy this byway
description: "Dropping 1,700 feet in elevation from end to end, the Colorado River Headwaters Byway follows the Colorado past reservoirs and lush ranchlands, and through narrow canyons flanked by the railroad. Wildlife abounds and access to miles of public land offers year-round recreation and views of mountain landscapes and geology."
contact: "**Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce**  \r\n 970-627-3402  \r\n\r\n**Greater Granby Chamber of Commerce**  \r\n 970-887-2311  \r\n 1-800-325-1661  \r\n [Send E-mail](mailto:grcoc@rkymtnhi.com )  \r\n\r\n"
path: "omttFv_~dS|Yd^pAfBnDdEbClBvBrAdH~CtF`ErElEbCxA|DlA~PpDlCt@`J~Cjb@`PpBlAhCnB~ChDlDnEvFjFf_@fZhL~I|Az@tAj@jAZ~ATpCR`CQ~B[fDiA`IcFrBq@~Cm@~HRtBd@jIzBnAj@hBvArAnAbCjDjMhSbJzMtChFjBvFlB`Hx@`ErDbNx@fCvB~EpBlCbBdBfCfBtMfI`LzH|OrJ`D`C|BpCl@xB~@tFvAbHdBvEvIhMx^jg@pBlB`E~BvBl@rC^hBLnBEnAQno@qPlDgBbByAbAeAvAmB`EmG`DeFdBmD|BgD~BmCrB{AbBy@vYeHpEm@nAChBNdCf@zEjCbEhBbCj@rEd@bMLtALlAb@x@`@xA|AnBtCjH`MxBlChCrBpBjAdDnAbBXbBJ|GNlW|@lVhAhCZ`EjAtEtCvApAnBxBla@fl@bExGlF|KtApEnAbFxMdc@|hAlvDhDlHxRdZxCrDpGzF|CpB|CfAtNlD`@p@Lf@?rBwY|w@sApCoB`DaCpCoEvDqF|DqMhHgDrByCpA_ARsCDqH_@s@DgB^iAl@eA`AeBbCm@fBoRllAOfGXzHP`Cu@nYn@~Ed@xBvBjHrChUxCff@LpEEd{@DrBXjDn@rCt@~BbBrCvCfDp`@la@~AvBr@tAvAjEn@`Dh@zH`GvhAt@nKd@lE|Fd`@rGla@`CxKrBzGjPlc@jFzIhB~BnF`FtGjDxArA|A`BnAvBn@zAj@zBr@pEXzEb@pFX|Bd@xBn@xBpIbUvJbYvAdDhB`DX\\t^pm@z@fBhAnDb@hBb@dDC`e@[~EmAfG?zBRp@Zd@\\FhE?lCjArCxBxC`BrCp@|APhAb@nAbAxBdDj@jBb@rB\\pAv@fAtCdC~@~@r@vAb@tBBfCGzAM~AAHK|AG~AAv@D~@NxA`@z@pGzGvAbB|@xA`AdAp@jANjAFnAEhAYjBUfBC~ABlALd@T^l@z@`A~AfBvDx@dDdA`F`@~ARpAj@zAl@f@tAl@d@Zl@`@p@t@jAnBb@nAv@bAz@b@~@FjAQb@[dDcDtIgI^[VSf@[f@MvBSn@Dn@LnBrAvAjB~@lCX~ANxCDp^IpK{BxlAkCv]ElHj@vKxAnQVjGGtC[vD_@zB_A`DcAvByBzCgDrCcDrAyPlDmEpAiBtAwItJwGpIuAbDcAhD_AzGaEp`@uKngAoAnU_@xLiErfBCzE\\`Pr@tJt@`GxFb^r@fDjBbGjFtMt@nCn@lDVnDhB~l@InFY~B{@lEkK~WgCfIiBrJsFrj@_@|EMpEAxCNxGt@`Ib@nC`BdHnI|Ux@lCn@nGHlBOdEyB`c@IlJ^tIh@~EhDtSNtAl@pDxAlGt@~BrBnExA`C`JrLhAtBbAnDxC|OzJnr@^lEFzAGzHiAzp@JfE\\bCt@~CnYf|@dBdHrHpdAFvBS|C[xBa@~Awg@hmBcBdJkB|No@bKuA~lA`TL`AMt@e@r@iAhLyi@tBmKx@_Fl@qITmYVmA|@yAnAg@vBEpWX~F`@tFtAfLhF`HrD~@XlB^hBJnCEzFYlCtH~AfFpAjCji@|`Ax@tAxAxAhAp@vFzBn@Jl@?t]aGtE_@vCt@hBbAbClCxRp]lBvG~DjLrBbD|BrChb@ha@bE~BbEf@fEYnBa@fFk@vIyAlEWlBx@fBjAzArArCdDr@zAnRzr@VfBl[rnAvGhYbAbNPtAb@p@pArA`BjCHt@YvAaCbIiEjGwFzKmD~EeCZ_@b@}AfBmAhBa@~@YhAOtAIdB@rBQjAyBnGqArGe@lJuA`JsAzEs@rDu@bQ~@~GTrCOfIH`He@pQcAhU{DbTsKbXcBfC_ItQeO`J{@~@U^Cp@N\\f@t@tBnAh@r@lBpDdCtGfBrCjAzDf@x@^Jd@GzL_Cr@@bGjAvUjIfChBbJtHxAv@xAX|Eb@dAZnLnHHDD?@?B?B?r@h@lEl@pInBxBbB`HzH|FrFbEtEzJzJ|BjB~@TzLE`\\u@hA?rAVbBbBl@hBJhA?jACfAc@vBqC`K[zAEpBBrAT`CnAhHXbCBlEk@fDgC~Fm@fBg@`CGrAHdET~Ah@zAx@dB~@jA~@l@pAd@tARbADbTaDrV}BbBEhCPxCp@rCfB|@fA~@~Ah@xAh@lBt@~DfA~CpB|Cx\\nVnBfAlAb@tBXbAEfBMfKmBrDWxALpBd@zAJpDR~D?`CKzPsBhCDd@Lv@AnCq@fCiArGqDlB_@rDD~CxAp@^j@`AhEdJrBzC~BvCf@rB~@pGb@pAXx@^f@rBdCxFrHjZtw@dOzb@|@~CpIva@fFrXrG|Wj@vCv@nMNbApJt`@d@tEHrJfJzc@vBjGtN|RlW`d@hGzLf@pA^~DI`AaFrd@OlDLlMPxCVhBd@bBX`@rAx@dALlAg@vEeEt@a@hDy@lEy@xAA|AHj@b@|CfHdEzDd@~@ZfAfArGd@`F\\~Fd@fEX~Ax@tCNpA?dD~@tBH\\?l@WzALj@n@~@fLpR|BdD|EtFhExFpBdDx@t@lCdBxC`DlCdClDjB~BlBj@`AfBpFrBlDz@r@jD`BbTjGnBx@n@n@lCpEbCtGlBxDbCfDbGzG`BjCvMhOz@^|BR|AMfI_Bt@AlBRnIzC`AP~@DxBk@bAm@`HmI|@k@nA[b@@tBv@l@f@Zf@\\lAJx@BvAYfBmAjCaBnBkAvBkAnAsAvF?rCDrANlAr@lD^fAh@~@~ArA"
websites: 
  - url: "http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=65520"
    name: Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge
  - url: "http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/kfo/recreation_opportunities/camping.html"
    name: Camping – Trough Road
  - url: "http://www.northernwater.org/WaterProjects/C-BTProject.aspx"
    name: "Colorado-Big Thompson Project"
  - url: "http://www.coloradodot.info/travel/scenic-byways"
    name: "Colorado's Scenic and Historic Byways"
  - url: "http://www.grandcountymuseum.com"
    name: Grand County Historical Association
  - url: "http://www.gcld.org"
    name: Grand County Library District
  - url: "http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/kfo/watchable_wildlife.print.html"
    name: "Watchable Wildlife Areas at Windy Gap "
designations: 
  - National Scenic Byway
  - Colorado State Scenic Byway
states: 
  - CO
ll: 
  - -105.83563200000003
  - 40.25064100000003
bounds: 
  - - -106.65136000000001
    - 39.85660900000005
  - - -105.83563200000003
    - 40.25064100000003

---

Dropping 1,700 feet in elevation from end to end, the Colorado River Headwaters Byway follows the Colorado past reservoirs and lush ranchlands, and through narrow canyons flanked by the railroad. Wildlife abounds and access to miles of public land offers year-round recreation and views of mountain landscapes and geology.