GRAND MESA SCENIC BYWAY

Traverse the Top of Beautiful Grand Mesa

Travelers are delighted to discover an oasis of natural beauty and wonder just beyond the Surface Creek Valley. The gateway to this world -- the world of lush meadows, shimmering lakes, and dense forests -- Is the Grand Mesa National Scenic and Historic Byway. As you drive the byway along Hwy. 65 to the top of the mesa, you will travel from fruit laden orchards, through pinyon pine and juniper covered hillsides, to alpine forests of spruce, fir, and aspen trees.

Bright meadows filled with wildflowers line the roadside during the warm season, and breathtaking views from the mesa’s 11,000 foot summit can be enjoyed year round. Over 300 lakes and reservoirs make the mesa a true “sportsman’s paradise.”

This scenic and historic byway extends 63 miles on Highway 65 from the southern entrance to the Town of Cedaredge to Interstate 70, about 30 miles east of Grand Junction. It also includes a 12-mile stretch called Lands End Road, a Forest Service road that provides access to incredible overlooks of the Gunnison River Valley between Delta and Grand Junction, as well as the city of Grand Junction and mountains in eastern Utah.

From the overlook, the Land’s End Road continues 20 mile to the west to Hwy. 50. This curvy, dirt road is limited to vehicles under 21 feet in length.

Along the byway, you’ll find turnoffs to many picnic areas, cabins, lodges, and lakes. More than 300 stream-fed lakes are scattered across the mesa, many stocked with rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout. Grand Mesa also offers 12 fee campgrounds, and many wild, beautiful places to pitch your tent for free.

In the horse and buggy days, the journey to the top of Grand Mesa was usually a three-day affair. Today, driving the entire stretch will take you approximately two hours.

More than a million people visit Grand Mesa each year to take advantage of an incredible array of outdoor activities, from hiking and camping to fishing and hunting. Numerous roads and trails offer sightseeing and hiking opportunities. A stop at the Land O’ Lakes overlook just above Island Lake will offer a glimpse of 18 beautiful lakes, all within walking distance of each other.

Cross-country and snowmobile trails, along with year-round lodging, make Grand Mesa one of the best winter sports locations in Colorado. The fairly level summit provides relatively safe terrain for skiers and snowmobilers. Powderhorn Ski Resort on the north side of Grand Mesa offers downhill skiing.

For more information about the Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway, stop by the Forest Service Visitor’s Center across from Cobbett Lake. During the summer, it’s open seven days a week. A second visitor’s center is located at the Land’s End Observatory.

In Cedaredge, a Welcome Center is located just off the highway at Pioneer Town. The Welcome Center is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays from Memorial Day until Color Sunday in late September.