Skyline Drive (Colorado)

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, with a gradual incline 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 (east) and the highway (west).

Skyline Drive, looking towards the south.

The single-lane, one-way road rises about 800 feet (240 meters) above the surrounding terrain. There are no guardrails despite sharp dropoffs, and the drive is about 3 miles (4.83 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 U.S. 50 and "Historic Downtown Cañon City," allowing drivers to head downtown and return to the highway.

Geology

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 "Dinosasur 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
  1. 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.
  2. "Self-guided tour: Skyline Drive" (PDF). Fremont County Heritage Commission. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
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