This scenic byway is located in the south central region of the state. It leads west from Interstate 25 along the pathways of the the Fremont and and Pike survey expeditions of the Nineteenth Century. Highways 96 and 165 lead over the Wet Mountain Range and into the Wet Mountain Valley.
Today the valley boasts one of the state's finest collections of vintage ranches and farmsteads, some dating back to the 1840s. Plus, abandoned trading posts and stage stops contribute to this memory of the past. More scenery includes: rugged Hardscrabble Canyon, the white capped Sangre de Cristos and sharp mesas and hogbacks flanking the Arkansas River.