U.S. Route 160: US-491 to Cortez – Colorado

Take a sweeping journey across the dramatic mesas and high desert plains of southwest Colorado as we follow U.S. Route 160 from its junction with U.S. 491 to the small city of Cortez. This 30-mile stretch, part of the celebrated Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway, winds through the ancestral homeland of the Puebloan peoples and modern Navajo Nation, threading a route between the iconic Four Corners region and the foothills of the San Juan Mountains.

Our drive begins at the intersection of U.S. 160 and U.S. 491 just south of Cortez, where the landscape spreads out in gentle undulations of sagebrush, piñon pine, and scattered red-rock outcrops. To the west lies the desert country of the Four Corners, but heading east, the road subtly climbs into the edge of the Colorado Plateau. Almost immediately, the profile of Sleeping Ute Mountain rises to the south—a sacred peak in Ute mythology said to resemble a great warrior resting on his back. The highway here feels wide open, inviting long gazes across the dry expanse, punctuated only by occasional driveways to homesteads and unmarked archaeological sites hidden in the folds of the terrain.

As we near the town of Cortez, the road curves gently northward, and we start to notice signs of increasing development. The edge of the city is defined by a blend of residential subdivisions, chain stores, and local businesses catering to travelers and locals alike. Cortez, the seat of Montezuma County, has long been a gateway to Mesa Verde National Park—visible to the southeast as a dramatic bluff-line that shelters countless cliff dwellings carved by Ancestral Puebloans. The highway transitions here from rural byway to city street, intersecting with arterial routes and giving access to downtown Cortez via Main Street. Though modest in size, the city is vibrant, shaped by a rich cultural blend of Native American, Hispanic, and frontier settler influences.

The drive concludes just past the intersection with Colorado Highway 145, where the route continues eastward toward Durango. But for many travelers, this stretch of U.S. 160 serves as a starting point for deeper exploration into the canyons, mesas, and heritage sites that define the Four Corners region. From the windswept roadside vistas to the welcoming bustle of Cortez, this segment of highway embodies the essence of the American Southwest—both in landscape and legacy.