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 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.

Skyline Drive, looking towards the south

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
Colorado State Highway System Interstate US State Scenic

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

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]