Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway
Trail of the Ancients National 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 Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
This byway crosses the Four Corners country of southwestern Colorado, linking some of the richest ancestral Puebloan archaeology in the United States. It connects Mesa Verde National Park, with its famous cliff dwellings, to the Canyons of the Ancients and Hovenweep, where stone towers stand at the heads of desert canyons. The surrounding landscape of mesas and dry washes has been farmed and inhabited for thousands of years.
- Mesa Verde cliff dwellings
- Canyons of the Ancients
- Hovenweep towers
- Four Corners region
- ancestral Puebloan sites
Designated for its archaeological qualities
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Places to stop along Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
Thousands of Ancestral Puebloan sites across mesa-and-canyon country. Start at the Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores, then visit Lowry Pueblo or hike to Sand Canyon.
WebsiteHovenweep National Monument
Stone towers and pueblos perched on canyon rims along the Utah line, built around 1200 AD, linked by an easy loop trail.
WebsiteYucca House National Monument
A large Ancestral Puebloan village left unexcavated under grassy mounds, with no facilities, reached on a county road.
WebsiteMesa Verde National Park
The best-known cliff dwellings in North America; stop at the visitor center at the park entrance for tour tickets.
WebsiteUte Mountain Tribal Park
Cliff dwellings and rock art on Ute Mountain Ute land, seen only on guided tours led by tribal members.
Website
Where to Stay along Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway
8 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway.
Campsite, lodging, RV rental and membership links are affiliate links — booking through them may earn Road Sorties a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Recreation.gov links are not affiliate links.
Photos of Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway
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.