Silver Thread Scenic Byway
Silver Thread Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in Colorado. Within Colorado it covers roughly 120 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Silver Thread Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
State Route 149 traces an old silver-mining and stagecoach route for about 75 miles between Lake City, Creede, and South Fork, deep in the San Juan and La Garita mountains. It passes North Clear Creek Falls, one of Colorado's most photographed waterfalls, and the Slumgullion Earthflow, a slow-moving slide that dammed a river to create Lake San Cristobal. The byway runs near the headwaters of the Rio Grande.
- North Clear Creek Falls
- Slumgullion Earthflow
- Lake City & Creede
- Rio Grande headwaters
- SR-149
Designated for its historic qualities
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Places to stop along Silver Thread Scenic Byway
South Fork
A small Rio Grande town at the byway's lower end, gateway to fishing, rafting, and Wolf Creek Pass.
WebsiteColler State Wildlife Area
A roadside stretch of the Rio Grande canyon where elk, bighorn sheep, and both golden and bald eagles are often spotted.
Wheeler Geologic Area
Spires and hoodoos of eroded volcanic ash in the La Garita Mountains, reached by a long 4WD road or an all-day hike.
WebsiteCreede
A silver boomtown wedged into a narrow canyon, with a summer repertory theater and an underground mining museum blasted into the rock.
North Clear Creek Falls
One of Colorado's most photographed waterfalls, plunging about 100 feet into a canyon right beside an easy overlook.
Slumgullion Earthflow
A yellowish landslide that has crept downhill for centuries and is still moving, with tilted trees marking its active edge, near Lake City.
Where to Stay along Silver Thread Scenic Byway
12 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Silver Thread Scenic Byway.
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What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.