Montrose to Colorado Springs: Driving Scenic Highway 50
How long does it take to drive 230 miles? Well, usually only a few hours, but if you’re on the way from Montrose to Colorado Springs it can stretch into all day. Or several days, depending on how much the mountainous landscape grabs your attention.
There’s simply so much to see and do. With rivers crisscrossing the mountains, the rough landscape is dotted with canyons and lakes. And you’re in luck, because many of them are both accessible to the public and close to the highway.
While Colorado has many scenic drives, the route from Montrose to Colorado Springs is one of my favorites. Along the way, you pass a National Park, Colorado’s largest reservoir, and several Fourteeners. (Don’t know what a Fourteener is? It’s a mountain that tops 14,000 feet in elevation.)
So buckle up and get ready to explore along Highway 50!
Stop #1: Black Canyon of the Gunnison
With so many different canyons to choose from, the Black Canyon may not sound so exciting. But this National Park is not one to miss, and you can easily hit all the main viewpoints in a couple hours.
The Black Canyon entrance is just a few miles east of Montrose on Highway 50, and leads to the road along the south rim. While there are viewpoints along the north rim as well, it is a MUCH further drive, because you have to enter the park from a completely different direction. As nice as it would be, there are no bridges over the canyon.
While the Black Canyon of the Gunnison isn’t nearly as huge as the Grand Canyon and doesn’t have the bright orange color of Utah canyons, it has its own peculiar qualities. The canyon is surprisingly narrow and deep in many areas, reaching depths of around 2,500 feet, while only being about 40 feet wide at the bottom. Staring down into the canyon is sure to mess with your depth perception!
The steep canyon walls are—you guessed it—black. (Gray, really, but now you’re just being picky.)
If you want to brave the steep, windy road down to the bottom of the canyon, in the summer you can take the East Portal Road down to the Gunnison River. Just plan on needing your brakes redone as soon as you get home.
Stop #2: Mesa Creek Trail
Next up on Highway 50 is the very small town of Cimarron. While there’s not much in Cimarron, besides a campground and visitor center, it’s worth stopping at the Mesa Creek Trail. Because, as it turns out, there’s more to see of the Black Canyon.
The Mesa Creek Trail is easy enough that almost anyone can do it. With an elevation gain of only 100 feet, the trail is less than a mile long each way and offers more views of the Black Canyon…but this time from the bottom. Since you’re hiking along the river, you can stop and play in the water along the way. For more trail info, go to AllTrails.com.
Stop #3: Curecanti National Recreation Area
Three reservoirs in a row; that’s the Curecanti National Recreation Area. It’s the most water you’ll see on your drive from Montrose to Colorado Springs. The Blue Mesa reservoir is actually the largest reservoir in Colorado, although it’s rapidly shrinking due to prolonged drought. So…no more boat rentals. You can still bring your own boat and enjoy a day on the water, but let’s be real…unless you live nearby, chances are slim that you’d bring a boat with you on the drive from Montrose to Colorado Springs.
Source: Colorado Vacation Directory
Although the water levels are a lot lower than they should be, there is still plenty of room for swimming or camping by the lakeside. There are lots of hikes too, several of which feature unique rock spires.
Also, more Black Canyon! (Does it never end?) At about 50 miles long, the Black Canyon continues for quite a ways outside of the National Park, so a good portion of the canyon is actually in Curecanti. You can hike down to the bottom; just make sure you can climb back to the top!
Stop #4: Gunnison
Surprise! There’s a town named Gunnison on the Gunnison River. Who would’ve guessed?
Home to Western Colorado University, Gunnison is the largest town in Gunnison County…which isn’t really saying that much, but it’s something.
While you can definitely stop here for some coffee or dinner at a yummy restaurant, there are plenty of outdoorsy things to do in Gunnison. Whitewater rafting, for one, at the Gunnison Whitewater Park. Or if you like mountain biking, you can cover the 45 miles of trails at the Hartman Rocks Recreation Area.
Stop #5: Monarch Pass
At over 11,300 feet elevation, Monarch Pass is likely to be one of the highest mountain passes you’ll drive over. Although if you like chasing heights, don’t worry. There’s plenty of higher ones out there.
Still, Monarch Pass is pretty cool, and you can buy a souvenir from the little gift shop at the top. A short trail takes you from the gift shop parking lot up to the crest, so you can climb a little higher and get an even better view.
Monarch Mountain is also home to a ski resort, so in the winter you can come back and bring your skis, if you like that sort of thing. Personally I try to stay off of skis, because once I get going I can’t seem to stop—but that’s a different story.
Decision Time: Which Route Are You Taking?
Shortly after Monarch, you have two different route options on your drive from Montrose to Colorado Springs. You can split off to the north on Highway 285 and then hop on Highway 24, or you can keep going on Highway 50 then turn onto Highway 115.
Which route is better? That’s a tough choice. They are both scenic routes and have a lot of great stops…so I’ll just list some of your options for each route.
Option 1: Highway 285 to Highway 24
Buena Vista. Buena Vista literally means “Beautiful View,” and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s also full of outdoorsy stuff to do…like whitewater rafting, biking, hiking, fishing, and more.
Eleven Mile Canyon Recreation Area. No, this isn’t some wildly impressive big or deep canyon by any means. It’s more a fun place to play, with short rock outcroppings and fun boulders to climb on.
Crystal & Catamount Falls. These waterfalls are small but picturesque, plus a portion of the hikes follow a bubbly stream.
Pikes Peak Highway. Pikes Peak is one of the most iconic mountains in the United States, and there’s a road climbing all the way to the summit. You’ll be at over 14,000 feet elevation, and just imagine the view!
Cave of the Winds. I’m dipping into Manitou Springs here, right next door to Colorado Springs. Cave of the Winds offers cave tours, ziplining, and a canyon via ferrata climbing tour.
Rainbow Falls. It’s literally right off the highway; in fact, it’s almost beneath the highway. Locally it’s known as Graffiti Falls, and if you go there you will see why. The graffiti gives the scene a very unique and artsy look, plus the waterfall itself is quite beautiful and much larger than Crystal or Catamount Falls.
Manitou Cliff Dwellings. With two museums and Anasazi ruins, this is a cool stop where you can actually walk inside the cliff dwellings and explore the interior.
Garden of the Gods. Lastly, as you’re driving through Manitou Springs on your route from Montrose to Colorado Springs, you absolutely have to stop at the Garden of the Gods. This free park with god-sized rock formations is too beautiful to skip.
Garden of the Gods
Option 2: Highway 50 to Highway 115
Captain Zipline Tours. Zipline over slot canyons and enjoy the Colorado scenery while you’re flying through the air!
Royal Gorge Bridge & Park. If you like heights, this one is for you. The Royal Gorge Bridge is made of wooden planks, and is suspended almost 1,000 feet above the Arkansas River—so don’t fall.
Cañon City. Here, you can find anything and everything Royal Gorge-related. There’s the Royal Gorge Route Railroad that can take you on a scenic tour of the gorge, as well as a Royal Gorge Museum, gorge mountain bike tours, gorge rafting…I could go on but I think you get the point.
As you may have noticed, I have listed a lot more things to do for the Highway 285 route. That’s because half of the stops are in Manitou Springs, a small town on the west side of Colorado Springs. If you are staying in Colorado Springs for a few days, then you can drive the few miles to Manitou Springs at any point during your stay.
With as many destinations as I’ve listed in this blog, it’s impossible to hit all the highlights from Montrose to Colorado Springs in a day. I suggest you pick a few from the list, and save the rest for next time. You never know when you will be back.
For more Colorado travel tips, go to my post on visiting Telluride.
