Skyline Drive (Colorado)
Skyline Drive | |
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Route information | |
Length | 3 mi (4.8 km) |
Existed | 1905–present |
Major junctions | |
South end | 5th Street in Cañon City |
North end | ![]() |
Highway system | |
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Skyline Drive is a scenic roadway in Cañon City, Colorado. It was built by inmate labor in 1905.[1] The road starts from U.S. Highway 50, with a gradual incline up the side of a ridge. When the road crests, it winds, climbs, and falls like a roller coaster until near its end, where a scenic outlook overlooks both the city (east) and the highway (west).
The single-lane, one-way road rises about 800 feet (240 meters) above the surrounding terrain. There are no guardrails despite sharp dropoffs, and the drive is about 3 miles (4.83 kilometers) long.[1]
The road ends in a residential neighborhood, and becomes a residential street that intersects with 5th Street, where signs point south toward U.S. 50 and "Historic Downtown Cañon City," allowing drivers to head downtown and return to the highway.
Geology[]
The drive sits on the top of Skyline Ridge, a hogback composed of upturned Dakota sandstone. Outcrops of the Morrison and the Fountain formations can also be seen. Along the drive is the "Dinosasur trackway," a fenced-off area along the road adjacent to some exposed strata, which showcases the fossilized footprints of ankylosaurs walking towards the west.[2]
References[]
- ^ a b Spencer, DC (2016-02-15). "Why we love Fremont County: Skyline Drive one of Cañon City's premier natural wonders". Cañon City Daily Record. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
- ^ "Self-guided tour: Skyline Drive" (PDF). Fremont County Heritage Commission. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
External links[]
Media related to Skyline Drive at Wikimedia Commons
- Streets in Colorado
- Transportation in Fremont County, Colorado
- Cañon City, Colorado