Skyline Drive (Colorado)
Skyline Drive | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 3 mi (4.8 km) |
| Existed | 1905–present |
| Restrictions | One-way traffic |
| Major junctions | |
| North end |  US 50 in Cañon City |
| South end | 5th Street in Cañon City |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| Highway system | |
| |
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 and gradually inclines 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 to the east and the highway to the west.
The single-lane, one-way road rises about 800 feet (240 meters) above the surrounding terrain. There are no guardrails despite sharp drop-offs, and the drive is about 3 miles (4.8 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 US 50 and "Historic Downtown Cañon City," allowing drivers to head downtown and return to the highway.
Geology
[edit]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 "Dinosaur 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
[edit]- ^ 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
[edit]Media related to Skyline Drive at Wikimedia Commons
