US Forest: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests, Rio Grande National Forest
Length: 117.0 miles / 188.3 km
Time to Allow: Unknown.

The colorful old mining camps of the Silver Thread offer history, scenic beauty, and a heavy dose of authenticity. The heights around Creede and Lake City remain strewn with abandoned mining structures, most of them accessible via rugged backcountry roads. Between the two towns, Highway 149 shadows the upper reaches of the Rio Grande, serving up a bounty of natural wonders - sparkling North Clear Creek Falls, the Slumgullion earth slide, and the shark-like fin of Uncompahgre Peak. These mountains can be unforgiving: In 1848 explorer John C. Fremont lost a third of his men - and a quarter of a century later the infamous Alfred Packer cannibalized his companions - in two ill-fated winter expeditions.

Stories

Silver Thread Scenic Byway Overview

A 75-mile drive between Lake City and South Fork, the Silver Thread Scenic Byway offers not only scenic beauty and natural wonders, but also a deep...

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