US-24 Ute Pass: Colorado Springs to Florissant
From the red fins of the Garden of the Gods up Fountain Creek through Ute Pass to the petrified redwoods of Florissant, an easy hour with a day's worth of stops.
The Route at a Glance
US-24 leaves Colorado Springs westward up the canyon of Fountain Creek, climbs through Ute Pass onto the high country north of Pikes Peak, and runs across it to Divide and Florissant, about thirty-six miles and an hour of driving. It follows, more or less, the old Ute trail from the springs at the mountain's foot to the hunting grounds of South Park.
Start at the Garden of the Gods, on the west edge of Colorado Springs, where the park's 1909 deed still keeps it free. The highway runs past Old Colorado City to Manitou Springs, the mineral-spring resort at the canyon mouth. Above town on the north side stand the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, built from stones shipped from McElmo Canyon in the early 1900s, and up Ruxton Avenue the Pikes Peak Cog Railway leaves for the summit.
West of Manitou the highway climbs steadily through the narrow canyon of Ute Pass past Cascade, Green Mountain Falls and Woodland Park, the largest town on the plateau. At Divide, Colorado 67 turns south for Cripple Creek and Victor. US-24 continues west to Florissant, and Teller County Road 1 leads a few miles south to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, where trails pass the stumps of redwoods buried by a volcanic mudflow some 34 million years ago.
The highway is open all year, though snow can close Ute Pass for short spells in winter. Allow a full day to see everything on it.
The Drive, Stop by Stop
4 stops along the route, in driving order from Colorado Springs, Colorado to Florissant, Colorado.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
That's the drive. Take your time, pull over often, and let US-24 Ute Pass: Colorado Springs to Florissant do what it does best.
← Explore more of Open Road Guide