Skyline Drive

Skyline Drive is a must-see for anyone visiting Cañon City. Touted as one of America’s most scenic drives, its steep, cliff-side climb makes you feel as though you are “off-roading” from the comfort of your passenger car. With no guardrails, visitors can peer directly down out of their window and get a sense of what it was like to travel the road in the early 1900s.

Enter this one-way, paved road from Highway 50 on the western edge of town and follow it to the top of a high razorback ridge overlooking Cañon City, the Royal Gorge, and the Arkansas River Valley. Though the experience is hair-raising, the views from the ridge are breathtaking, and what many consider to be a geological marvel.

There are many pullouts to enjoy the view, and towards the top, there is an interpretive display to help you see—can you believe it?—dinosaur tracks embedded in the cliff face.

While the ride along Skyline Drive is thrilling, it might be frightening for those who have never experienced a high road with cliff edges. A small car or truck is best and the road should not be attempted by anything large, like a motorhome.

Learn more by taking the Skyline Drive self-guided tour.