The Gold Belt byway is a great drive through Teller County's gold towns

The Gold Belt Tour byway is a beautiful way to see how Teller County’s gold towns were once connected. It loops between Cripple Creek and Victor and the valley towns of Cañon City and Florence, partly along the grades of old mining railroads. Two of its legs are historic backcountry roads that carry the real flavor of that era.

Phantom Canyon Road follows an abandoned railroad bed through a narrow gorge, with tunnels, bridges, and a gravel surface. Shelf Road earns its name where it clings to a rock wall above a creek and narrows to roughly one lane in places. Plan for these as the adventure they are: a high-clearance vehicle is recommended, you yield carefully to oncoming traffic, and winter and spring runoff can close the road.

Good to know: a map or a GPS may route you onto one of these as if it were an ordinary shortcut between Teller County and the valley. Going in expecting a slow, scenic, sometimes-seasonal road — rather than a quick highway — keeps the drive a pleasure from start to finish.

Before you go, check the byway and BLM Royal Gorge Field Office information for current road status and seasonal closures, and check live conditions on COtrip.