Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway Gold Belt Byway Tour

Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway Gold Belt Byway Tour

Birding Areas/Nearby Trail
Florence (Whitewater Trail)
This byway reminds travelers of the first Americans who settled in southern Colorado.
Trails forged by American Indians, Spanish, French, and American explorers came
together where the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek join. The drive takes a leisurely
route from Pueblo to Colorado City and Rye, then on to Westcliffe and Silver Cliff.
Restrooms
Drinking fountain
Gravel trails
Paved trails
Boardwalk
Platform or blind
Concession or food stand
Visitor center
Gift shop or bookstore
Primitive
Handicapped Accessible
This 131-mile circuit begins and ends near Cañon City and includes some of the most
incredible scenery in Colorado. Explore old mining camps, fossils and the picturesque
Royal Gorge. Other communities on the route include Florence, Florissant, Penrose and
Pueblo.
Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway
X X X X
Birding Areas/Nearby Trail
Restrooms
Drinking fountain
Gravel trails
Paved trails
Boardwalk
Platform or blind
Concession or food stand
Visitor center
Gift shop or bookstore
Primitive
Handicapped Accessible
Gold Belt Byway Tour
Nature & Raptor Center of Pueblo (Whitewater Trail) X X X X X
Marsh, Urban/Suburban
Lowland Riparian, Stream
Tunnel Drive (Whitewater Trail) X X
Pueblo Reservoir (Whitewater Trail)
X X X X X X X
Lake Isabel (Greenhorn Trail)
X X X X
Pinyon-Juniper Forest, Rimrock/Mesa, Cholla
Cañon City Riverwalk (Whitewater Trail)
X X X X X
Lowland Riparian, Urban/Suburban
Phantom Canyon (Whitewater Trail)
X X
Pond/Lake/Reservoir, Pinyon-Juniper Forest, Lowland
Riparian, Stream, Rimrock/Mesa
Mixed-Conifer Forest, Streamside Willow, Lake
Pinyon-Juniper Forest, Rimrock/Mesa, Lowland Riparian,
Mixed-Conifer Forest
Westcliffe & Silver Cliff (Greenhorn Trail)
Wildlife
Migrant landbirds, herons, egrets, rails, Swamp Sparrow, Rufous-crowned Sparrows,
Marsh, Canyon and Rock Wrens, American Dipper, Pinyon Jay, Green-tailed Towhee and
Virginia’s Warbler, Lazuli Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, Bullock’s Oriole, Yellow-breasted Chat,
White-throated Swift, Great Blue and Green Herons. Deer, elk, bobcat, bighorn sheep,
rabbits and raccoons.
Wildlife
Canyon Towhee, Juniper Titmouse, Scaled Quail, Greater Roadrunner, Osprey and
MacGillivray’s Warbler, finches, and Eurasian Collared-Doves. Rattlesnakes, tarantulas,
coyotes, deer, lizards, elk, squirrels, raccoons, weasels, bobcat, mountain lion and black
bear.
Urban/Suburban, Pond
Other birding opportunities along the Gold Belt Byway Tour
Brush Hollow Reservoir and State Wildlife Area (Whitewater Trail)
Beaver Creek State Wildlife Area (Whitewater Trail)
Temple Canyon Park (Whitewater Trail)
Red Canyon Park (Whitewater Trail)
X X X X X X
Other birding opportunities along Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway
Roselawn Cemetery (Whitewater Trail)
Pueblo City Park (Whitewater Trail)
Colorado City and Rye (Greenhorn Trail)
Greenhorn Peak (Greenhorn Trail)
Mountain Park Environmental Center (Greenhorn Trail)
Ophir Creek Road (Greenhorn Trail)
Runyon Lake State Wildlife Area (Whitewater Trail)
Pueblo West (Whitewater Trail)
Lewis Creek Trail (Greenhorn Trail)
DeWeese Reservoir (Greenhorn Trail)
Medano Pass Road (Greenhorn Trail)
It may be the notable characters who made this region home over the years are the
namesakes of this byway, or it could be the fantastic geologic formations that star in
much Native American lore. In any case, travelers will find themselves in awe of what
they’ll find here. Explore Walsenburg, La Veta and Cuchara on this journey.
On a clear spring day, a sharp observer can still discern the wagon-wheel ruts of the
Santa Fe Trail wending their way across the prairie. This byway is a 188-mile portion of
the famous route that marked progress westward into uncharted territory. Trinidad
and Las Animas are located on this historic drive.
Birding Areas/Nearby Trail
Walsenburg (Spanish Peaks Trail)
Urban/Suburban, Stream, Lowland Riparian, Park/Cemetery X X X X X X
Birding Areas/Nearby Trail
Trinidad Lake State Park (Spanish Peaks Trail)
Restrooms
Drinking fountain
Gravel trails
Paved trails
Boardwalk
Platform or blind
Concession or food stand
Visitor center
Gift shop or bookstore
Primitive
Handicapped Accessible
Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway
Restrooms
Drinking fountain
Gravel trails
Paved trails
Boardwalk
Platform or blind
Concession or food stand
Visitor center
Gift shop or bookstore
Primitive
Handicapped Accessible
Scenic Highway of Legends
X X X X X X X
Reservoir, Pinyon-Juniper Forest, Lowland Riparian
X X X X X
Trinidad (Spanish Peaks Trail)
Cucharas Creek Road (Spanish Peaks Trail)
X X X
Comanche Grasslands (Comanche Trail) X
Spanish Peaks SWA (Spanish Peaks Trail)
X X X
La Veta (Spanish Peaks Trail)
Urban/Suburban, Lowland Riparian, Pond/Lake/Reservoir
Spruce-Fir Forest, Aspen Grove, Streamside Willow,
Krummholz, Alpine Tundra
Pinyon-Juniper Forest, Scrub Oak Forest, Ponderosa Forest
Wildlife
Migrant landbirds, waterfowl, Bald Eagles, ptarmigan, pinyon-juniper, scrub-oak and
Ponderosa birds, Western Scrub-, Pinyon and Steller’s Jays, Spotted Towhee, Bushtit,
Mountain and Western Bluebirds, Lesser Goldfinch, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Blackthroated Gray Warbler, and all three nuthatches. Abert’s Squirrel, turkey poults (chicks),
elk, mule deer, black bear, rock squirrels and jackrabbits.
Other birding opportunities along the Scenic Highway of Legends
Lathrop State Park (Spanish Peaks Trail)
Wahatoya Valley (Spanish Peaks Trail)
Devil’s Stairsteps (Spanish Peaks Trail)
Cordova Pass (Spanish Peaks Trail)
North Lake State Wildlife Area/North Fork
Road (Spanish Peaks Trail)
Stonewall Area (Spanish Peaks Trail)
Bosque del Oso State Wildlife Area
(Spanish Peaks Trail)
Urban/Suburban, Lowland Riparian
X X X X X X X X
Grassland/Prairie
Kim (Comanche Trail)
Urban/Suburban, Grassland/Prairie, Pond
X X X
Wildlife
Acorn Woodpecker, pinion jay, rodrunner, blue heron, and redwing blackbird, diving
and dabbling ducks, pelicans, gulls, loons, Ferruginous hawks, McCown’s and Chestnutcollared Longspurs, Eurasian Collared-Doves, Great-tailed Grackles, Cassin’s Kingbirds and
Black-chinned Hummingbirds. Muskrats, frogs and turtles.
Other birding opportunities along the Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway
Lake Dorothey State Wildlife Area (Spanish Peaks Trail)
Apishapa State Wildlife Area (Spanish Peaks Trail)
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Year-round or Seasonal
Pueblo: First Friday Art Walk
Trinidad: Trolley Tours - Memorial DayLabor Day
Trinidad: Southern Colorado Repertory
Theatre - June-Aug.
Westcliffe: Saturday Samplers, Old
“Westcliff” Schoolhouse, May-Aug.
Westcliffe: Live Theater, May-Sept.
January
Canon City: Bird ’n Nature Fest
February
Trinidad: Area Arts Council Polar Bear Ball,
4th Saturday
Pueblo: Eagle Days at Pueblo Reservoir,
1st weekend
March
Trinidad: Noah’s Ark Peacock Ball, 2nd
Saturday
April
Florence: Studio Tour, 4th Saturday
May
Cañon City: Blossom Music Festival, 1st full
weekend
Pueblo: Wild Wild West Festival, 3rd
weekend
June
La Veta: Francisco Fort Museum Saloon
Night, 1st Saturday
Pueblo: Blue Grass Festival, Nature and
Raptor Center, 1st weekend
Silver Cliff: Mining Days and Tractor Pull,
2nd weekend
Trinidad: Santa Fe Trail Festival, 2nd
weekend
Walsenburg: Black Diamond Jubilee,
Third Saturday & Sunday
Colorado Farmer’s Markets
Cañon City: Saturdays, June-Sept.
Florence: Thursdays, June-Sept.
Pueblo: Multiple locations and days, JulySept.
Trinidad: Saturdays, July-Sept.
Westcliffe: Main Street, June-Sept.
July 4th Celebrations
La Veta: Art in the Park
Pueblo: Rollin’ on the Riverwalk
Trinidad: Little Britches Rodeo
Westcliffe: Car show, flea market, parade,
ice cream social, fireworks
July
La Veta: Francisco Fort Day, 4th Saturday
Westcliffe: High Mountain Hayfever Blue
Grass Festival, 2nd weekend
Westcliffe: County Fair, Stampede and
Rodeo, 3rd weekend
Westcliffe: Shakespeare in the Sangres,
Amphitheater, 3rd & 4th weeks
August
Gardner: Chuck Wagon Dinner, 1st
Saturday
Pueblo: Colorado State Fair, last week of
August-Labor Day
Trinidad: Trinidaddio Blues Festival,
weekend before Labor Day
Westcliffe: Wet Mountain Western Jubilee,
3rd weekend
September
Cañon City: The Winery at Holy Cross
Abbey Harvest Festival, last weekend
Florence: Pioneer Days, 3rd weekend
Pueblo: Chile and Frijoles Fest, 3rd
weekend after Labor Day
Trinidad: County Fair & Annual Rodeo
Dance and Labor Day Parade
Walsenburg: La Plaza de los Leones Fiesta,
2nd weekend
Walsenburg, La Veta & Gardner: Celtic
Festival, 4th weekend
Westcliffe: Bike with Pike, 1st Saturday
Westcliffe: Art Hullabaloo, 3rd weekend,
Art for the Sangres, 4th weekend
October
La Veta: Oktoberfest, 1st Saturday
Penrose: Apple Days, 1st weekend
Pueblo: Legendary Historic District Ghost
Walk, 1st two weekends
November
Pueblo: Holiday Lighting (Fri.), Parade of
Lights (Sat.) after Thanksgiving
Pueblo: Pueblo Zoo ElectriCritters, midNovember through December
Trinidad: Hometown Holidays Parade of
Lights/Tree & Train Lighting Ceremony,
Saturday after Thanksgiving
Walsenburg: Parade of Lights, Friday after
Thanksgiving
December
Pueblo: La Posada, 2nd Saturday
Trinidad: Chamber of Commerce Home
Lighting Contest/Trolley Tour
Westcliffe: Parade and Festival of Trees, 1st
Saturday
For more information, please call or visit:
Pueblo: (719) 542-1704 • www.pueblochamber.org Trinidad: (866) 480-4750• www.historictrinidad.com Cañon City: (719) 275-2331 • www.canoncity.com
Walsenburg, La Veta & Gardner • www.spanishpeakscountry.com Silver Cliff & Westcliffe: (719) 783-9163 • www.visitcustercounty.com
For more information about birding opportunities in Colorado or our Byways, please visit www.coloradobirdingtrail.com and www.coloradobyways.org
For information about our scenic byways, visit www.coloradobyways.org
Gold Belt
Frontier Pathways
Highway of Legends
Santa Fe Trail
HISTORIC AND SCENIC BYWAYS
69
50
I-25
State Line
County Line
City or Town
Interstate Highway
State/County Road
Gravel/4WD Road
Mountain Ranges
Mountain Peaks
Public Lands
Camping
Lakes and Rivers
Hospital
Airport/Airstrip
Historic Fort
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