A little longer than we normally ride, this ride takes in a stop at the interesting Bishop Castle in the beautiful San Isabel National Forest (take a moment to visit this unique family construction project, and if you’re lucky you might see its constructor, Mr. Jim Bishop still doing his thing).  The lunch stop is in Walsenburg where, although a small town, has many typical fast food places, but also has some unique restaurants and cafes for those that like to do the small town experience.  There are 6 Colorado mountain passes that you go over along this ride: Wixson Divide (9,379 t.), Bigelow Divide (9,350 ft.), Greenhill Divide (9,340 ft.), Long Saddle (6,370 ft.), Promontory Divide (8,579 ft.), and Hardscrabble Pass (9,085 ft.).  Check out the C-VRA 50 Pass Map for exact locations.

Total distance = approximately 260 miles.

Details: From Colorado Springs head south on Hwy 115 to Florence.  In Florence take a left onto Hwy 67 towards Wetmore.  In Wetmore, take a right onto Hwy 96.  Follow 96 for 9.5 miles to McKenzie Junction/Hwy 165.  Turn left onto 165.  Follow 165 for 12.5 miles until you reach Bishop Castle.  When leaving Bishop Castle, head south along Hwy 165 all the way through Colorado City to I-25.  Take I-25 south 24 miles to Walsenburg for lunch and gas.  After lunch, take Main St. (which turns into Walsen Ave.) north for 2 miles to Hwy 69 (if you reach I-25 again, you’ve gone about 1500 feet too far).  Turn left onto 69 to Westcliffe.  In Westcliffe, turn right onto Hwy 96.  Take 96 all the way back to Wetmore/Hwy 67.  Turn left onto 67 and follow it until it stops in Florence and Hwy 115.  Turn right onto 115 and follow it all the way back to Colorado Springs (there’s a gas station about 5.5 miles outside of Florence on the way to Colorado Springs that you might want to stop for gas if you need it).

Click here for a map of the route.