West Elk Loop
This byway circles the rugged West Elk Mountains. Beginning in Carbondale, the route heads up the Crystal River, climbs McClure Pass, and then follows the North Fork of the Gunnison River downstream to Hotchkiss. At Hotchkiss, the byway heads southeast over mesas to wind high above the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. After crossing the Blue Mesa Dam, it heads east past Blue Mesa Reservoir to Gunnison. From there, the byway heads north to Crested Butte, where it turns back west on the Kebler Pass Road (gravel, unplowed in winter).
