West Elk Loop
Colorado Scenic Byway 202 mi in Colorado.
About the West Elk Loop
The twin summits of Mount Sopris and the incomparable Black Canyon of the Gunnison anchor the ends of the West Elk Loop. This magnificent landscape has been home to uncounted generations of Native Americans, most recently the Utes. White settlers originally came in search of minerals and stayed to farm and ranch. The coke ovens at Redstone bear witness to the toil that built the communities of today. Carbondale, Hotchkiss, Crawford, Gunnison, Crested Butte, and other towns offer a slice of Colorado's rich history, varied lifestyles, and natural beauty. The route gives access to the White River and Gunnison National Forests, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Curecanti National Recreational Area, and Crawford and Paonia State Parks.
Colorado Department of Transportation's own description, in its words. Byway page on codot.gov.
Designations: Colorado State Scenic Byway, National Forest Scenic Byway.
Camping along the byway
- Mile 23 · on the roadDelta County Fairgrounds Camping · City, county or regional park
- Mile 36 · on the roadCrawford State Park · State park · 66 sites · reservable
- Mile 48 · 4.7 mi offEast Portal Campground · National Park Service · 15 sites
- Mile 48 · 4.7 mi offEast Portal Campground · National Park Service · 16 sites · reservable
- Mile 54 · 1.8 mi offCimarron Campground · National Park Service · 21 sites
- Mile 54 · 1.8 mi offCimarron Campground (CO) · National Park Service · 23 sites · reservable
- Mile 75 · on the roadLake Fork Campground · National Park Service · 83 sites · reservable
- Mile 78 · 4.2 mi offPonderosa Campground (CO) · National Park Service · 30 sites · reservable
- Mile 82 · 0.8 mi offRed Creek Group Site · National Park Service · 1 sites · reservable
- Mile 85 · on the roadDry Gulch Campground · National Park Service · 9 sites
- Mile 85 · 0.6 mi offEast Elk Creek Group Campsite · National Park Service · 1 sites · reservable
- Mile 86 · on the roadElk Creek Campground · National Park Service · 153 sites · reservable
- Mile 90 · on the roadStevens Creek Campground · National Park Service · 55 sites · reservable
- Mile 111 · on the roadAlmont · Forest Service · 4 sites · reservable
- Mile 116 · 4.5 mi offNorth Bank (CO) · Forest Service · 4 sites · reservable
- Mile 116 · 4.8 mi offOne Mile · Forest Service · 29 sites · reservable
- Mile 117 · 4.7 mi offSpring Creek (CO) · Forest Service · 4 sites · reservable
- Mile 121 · 3.2 mi offCement Creek · Forest Service · 4 sites · reservable
- Mile 131 · 2.4 mi offRiver Flats Campground · Bureau of Land Management
- Mile 131 · 3.2 mi offOh Be Joyful Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 30 sites · reservable
- Mile 138 · 1.4 mi offLake Irwin · Forest Service · 45 sites · reservable
- Mile 143 · 1.5 mi offLost Lake Campground · Forest Service
- Mile 154 · on the roadErickson Springs · Forest Service · 4 sites · reservable
- Mile 161 · on the roadPaonia State Park · State park · 20 sites · reservable
- Mile 176 · on the roadMcClure Campground · Forest Service
- Mile 180 · 0.5 mi offBogan Flats Campground and Group · Forest Service · 37 sites · reservable
- Mile 180 · 4.8 mi offMarble Campground · City, county or regional park
- Mile 187 · on the roadRedstone · Forest Service · 37 sites · reservable
- Mile 190 · 1.3 mi offAvalanche Campground · Forest Service
- Mile 196 · 3.9 mi offThompson Creek Campground · Bureau of Land Management
- Mile 197 · 3.1 mi offUpper Prince Creek Campground · Bureau of Land Management
- Mile 198 · 2.7 mi offLower Prince Creek Campground · Bureau of Land Management
Public campgrounds within 5 miles of the road as the crow flies, in order along the byway; each one's page has its facts, season and weather by month.
About this page's facts
The line is the Federal Highway Administration's scenic byways layer (HEPGIS, a snapshot of 2022-06-24, a US government work), cut at the state line and simplified for the map; the length is the line's. The designation is the program's own: the national tiers from FHWA's America's Byways roster, the rest from the layer's designation field. Road conditions, closures and seasonal gates change: check the agency's own page and the state's road conditions before you go.