Unaweep-Tabeguache

Off the beaten path by a long shot, Colorado's Unaweep Tabeguache Scenic Byway weaves its way through some of the wildest BLM lands in America. The UTB is located in western Colorado, south of the city of Grand Junction. It extends from Whitewater, CO to Placerville, CO, passing through the communities of Gateway, Naturita, Nucla, Redvale and Norwood. The Dolores River Canyon is an obvious highlight, with its smooth sandstone walls and roaring river Distance: 133 miles Suggested Time: Allow 3 hours Unaweep Tabeguache cuts through a canyon for most of the way, and follows the Dolores and San Miguel rivers. Through the years, these rivers slowly ate away at the soft sandstone creating the flattop canyon through which bikers ride.The river also shaped industry in the area. The skeletal remains of Hanging Flume, an aqueduct system completed in 1891 to carry water for the mining process, can be seen clinging to the side of a sheer cliff. To view this 19th century ruin, stop at the overlook just outside Naturita. Historical signage along the byway retells the journey of Dominguez and Escalante, two Spanish friars who traveled through the region in search of a passageway from the missions in New Mexico to those in California.