Wildlife, including bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goats, are often seen near the road. The Forest Service Visitor Center, at the Clear Creek Ranger District office in Idaho Springs, offers a self-guided tape tour. An interpretive trail at the Visitor Center takes visitors to the site of Jackson's discovery, where the first placer mine operation began during the Colorado Gold Rush. Except for route 5 to the top of Mount Evans, the road is open and maintained year-round. Highway 5 is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Intense winters keep the road closed during the winter months.
Travel through hogback ridges into the Poudre Canyon, over Cameron Pass and into North Park to Walden. The Cache la Poudre, Colorado's first National Wild and Scenic River, winds up the canyon for two-thirds the length of the byway. Avoid travel on gravel county roads after rain or snowfall. Take a full tank of gas due to limited area services. Colorado's northeastern high plain offers travelers an opportunity to discover the more subtle diversity of the prairie.