--- id: "2107" name: Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway distance: "82" duration: 2.5 hours description: When you drive on the Flat Tops, you'll see not only great scenery, but the birthplace of a concept. Development of any kind was barred around Trappers Lake two decades after the region was designated in 1891 as the second National Forest Reserve unit in the foreshadowing of the 1964 Wilderness Act. path: kbksFr}mqSByEx@wDXyBf@kj@`@qMf@oDpAkErCiHnAeCnCyDr@oBfC{NdAgCrAyBhAeCh@aCR_BJeCOaDiBaTUaEJ_BbAaETgBB_CyBef@c@{Co@qCcAoC}@aDeC{Sk@mHPmBR_AvL{XhAcBbAwB|BgDfHiIp_@{\hReQxv@ee@lBy@zAWjDAbT`@vKAdNc@`ONnIQjJJxC]t^oJrAMtPlBpL~@pEl@`A^`FrCbCx@h@Dr@?tAYtJmDx@w@|BaDvHiNt@}@nCcCpCqBvDeCbDmAdFa@`Cy@|DqDnCoAr@k@hAcA|BgCbBmAnAk@fJaClBgAlGkI`F}JbD{FhRaQrHgJvBaCpFwDlAsAzEoJ`M{OjIqMr@}AhEoLhDgIv@oCt@qDrCgI\oBbA{\LmARs@|CsHd@aBUyKnAqJRyCMqA{AsIS{B?yAXeICmB_B}IiAuKBeBNkBn@gEn@yDhAiEvEoK^i@n@_@rCaA|Ck@~Hg@tA_@b@Sh@k@Zq@Tu@HqAEaBW_CyCiP}C{U[gDOuISaD[cBy@{A_@e@}CaBmE_BwGeAy@]uK{Iy@aAi@mBEkA?yCRgDd@kBlB{DjB_CbSkPp@y@Jq@@q@K{@m@sAkBqCeNwUgDuIo@gCIeBNoz@DsFv@iGBs@Gs@aSw~@a@gD_AgMYgB_@_BsC_I}@aDoBcLO}ACuBF_APkAf@gBlH{PZsARuD?cDEaDSeCo@oD_BsDcAsByIoOaAkCsC}OsEgN_A{B{FkI_AuBmEoLcAeDOmCE}TWeAUe@yDsEkRcRgE{DqHaGgFsEaMgM}EgIcAaCy@mCcDgOeAgCw@}@cF}CgCoBkRgX}@eCcD{MsAuCcEeGcDsDwEsEe@u@mBsFeAsBcCaG[eAuAqGe@{AiCgGkIcL}FyEsFkD}AuAu@eBwH{Xe@uAm@y@qAeA_C_BiAgAeA_BmCiGmDaK}DiRiAeHKqASaJMyB{Cg\sA{KyR_~@{Hoc@_BgEsCiEo@o@yD}BaBcBi@{@_EaLsA{EmAoNOcA_CiGgCeIyAoDk@s@sAcAcBg@sB@}D~@yB\gVKeBMgASmBw@yIgEy@s@s@gAsK{Uu@qAeFaFmCcD{LgWkH}O_AyB_B_FwDaNaEcK_GqUm@kCOaC?wADgBvAqNEiAgAaIDkUUqB_AmBk@e@q@YoBa@oAk@iByAwAuBcCyGkA_F}BkTmCaRcAgEiAyBkC{Dg@sAcAeL_AaGeB}ImEaRc@y@iCsC}BmDoAeCs@{Ba@yB]kD?oAj@{XNgCXaBdGmRZyBD{@EmAaAeIWmCKgLsC}[_@{C}AsFsAaDi@kAeBiCqDeFeRkRi@sBoJms@}Jk]gGyMgAcD_Imm@SyDOmDC}p@Q_EwCqS}@}Dy@uBeEaIqAqCe@gB{@gHg@aCuB{E]yAIkAC_IKeAa@sBuHqXu@aDcEq]c@{FcAmR?gA|@gKEsBa@aFAiFIwAK_@qEsKcEwDsA}A{@eCaC}Qy@uCsBkF}BgFkAmGOiDCwCNiB\_ChBgJn@aHN{Hb@os@mC_hAy@aHIcBC_BRaDBeBCoA[sB_KcY_ByDaGoLiAwCE{@Dq@Ni@hD_Ar@k@n@gAlBwE~BsGV}AN_DGyH[oL?sCHkBX{BlIgg@xAaHfG{QrAmBn@wB\oCNkK}@uCmEyKy@}AmDeIu@mCmAiIU]o@a@cAQ{@P_A`Aa@rBBv@F`@\p@hBrAR^n@fD^dAbCbFX|@HrA]`CBXNdAr@dB`AxERfCAr@m@zA_Ap@gBd@c@Xa@p@}B`GeEnGaApCUtAUlFWp@k@l@gCrA_@d@O`@_@vDwAfCg@zC}@p@e@RuAKgAs@Ym@YyAB_BZaAvDkGRu@@_AEqA_@mAsAyAeBw@gCm@}AuAu@qBsB{H}AoN{@yAi@k@aDsAsBqB[s@c@mD[}LMyAq@sD_@_Am@y@_Ay@cAg@eAWi@EsFj@eBS_Ak@{@uAuF{OkA}AoAa@mDLaBSu@e@_AsA[mAuBcNw@cBs@[_AC}@Vm@~@WlA}@lIe@xA_A~AeA`A}@`@mCXiAOmCgAeAuAs@uAwLsm@kAiDeAwBqG{EiCqCmFiK_CmCcCsAmCs@_I}@aa@uByBEc@FiCjD_Br@eNxAm@?{@Kg@ScHgEi@mAOgFUw@qHuLSw@e@iFO_Ag@qAy@cAcDeAu@i@oA}Ac@_AS_A[aGOi@{H_QkAcAq@?uEpAg@Dk@EcA_AOm@?y@~@}FDaAQyBOo@aBqBqBmAaAw@uBcDo@eB]yBIkAf@gQSgCi@sAoAgAoPaI{@q@Ws@YmA?wAR{B?aDiA{MIwBcBcGiDeJiBwKOkCZyCKuCOyAa@}@aAs@cAOqGFgIgBy@o@sC{Fc@g@y@g@cI}CSo@?}@p@oA\Eh@Rb@j@xBfBbA@XUTq@?e@e@kA}C}CwFcDsFaBqAkA{@{AwAaEoAiBgEoCiGsG_@u@OeADo@Lm@Zg@~@Yr@RnA`A|B~Bx@Jx@Mt@qADm@?q@i@uC_@s@_CsCoAyBcCgF}AcCuPkQoIaKeFeDoLg@gBa@eAy@gDmFyGsIoKmKcE{B}Cy@kEc@gBg@g@m@a@_BAg@FiAb@aAd@s@t@s@vAw@~@_@pESdBYvBeAdAUdIX~C_@jHE~@JpFxAhB@`@Mf@e@j@sAHgACy@o@wA]g@s@c@kI}DeNeFai@uLqIyAgJFmXr@aFDeLuAgOyB}De@cADcEr@iCxAyEnDaAb@iB^kl@xBsDhAaIpDaE~BeF`CsBxC}IlOgAz@u@JaA?eAk@eA_BsCmLsAuCmP{RuAmD_@yCIkJO_Ac@kAk@m@oAe@c@?w@RkB~A{LvMkE~B_CdAoBJaBWiA_@i@[cF_HuAaAs@KiADsAl@iArAg@dBQpADzBErCi@fCqInS{@lAm@f@wFhBi@f@_@x@KdAHx@d@lA~@f@|CPh@Vh@l@Rt@@dAOdAo@fAs@d@}@\kBFiBe@mAy@iAmB_@mAYqB?aBXuE?eA]}AkAaDU_A?_BPsA|@aBb@YbEeAh@g@h@_AXgAD}AiAmG_@mCJmCXsCT_Al@eBxCiF^kBNkAE{AwAmGAmAN{BhGaVBkBOyAiB{DQqABoARgAhBkEbAuDN}BDuDo@sHAkCTsAbD}IPwB?oCWyEDgAXiBxB{GT_BD{Bk@iKXeFh@mBnCuEn@kBh@yFbAsC~@oAjJkDdDgBx@mAbAcCv@mA~HiFlBsBlDkHxAuDfB_DnByB~@yCf@mHfAuCpA{Gx@uNx@yGrBmIn@eEd@gIDoDKgBSqAyBcKoCgJqXar@]mAKqBHuAh@eBrBqBpj@y^~FgEpDgE`IyK|BmE`A}DrCmN^eAv@yAxAsAnBm@hReClIsArAu@x@iAR_B?aBc@{A_AeAmEeCw@_AUm@QaB?q@T_At@{A~Aq@zCa@|G@zDj@hF`CbJ~G`AXzAKr@_@n@mA\yCi@{C}A_F_CkGuDuHeFgJ}EuFgDkDqHuFo@gA_@wAEy@CaAHeANg@rAeBvAc@vAJf@RnBdB|B~AtBd@bA@dCUrA_@v@_@xAqBn@oBX_BIkCOaAi@eBwHoHaKyIiLiIyHkDy[uJ{DuCwB_DiEkLsCaJmBoHYsEJ}Er@iEpCgIxAiFXmD?mCSyC}@mDk@qAgAuAe@YuBo@gGu@qDSiA_@uAsAW_AUyBBw@ToAh@qA`GaG|@yBVkAB_BGuAa@kBcAaCu@qAYgA_@{B?iB^qIWqCq@kC{IyUsE{KI}@?yBbAcJF{BGkC{Fgt@{@{DcBaGeJcXc@oBqAsJy@mDgCsIeByDy@oDqEq^?aGh@yG|AyDtOyWnAyDtC_NfAuG~AwM|CcYHwAUaFOs@kCuEa@kAOsBdA{IT_An@cAlC{AR_@rDmNR]rBwA@sA{@{Fs@kBiDoFOqBJs@Ta@xAiAjGiBh@YPQ^wAHiAK}AoByFCe@Hm@^s@dA{@l@SN]h@gLNcGYqAe@_AiA{Ae@eA]eAgAiLBc@|C}LTqAR{ANkENyAlBwKtCkVp@eCdEoJPeA`@_EEaDYgGe@kDCyFr@cAl@}ApBgCvAqApAg@vASxDkAvDkCxBuBvBmCn@aAnA_Dx@_AjJgHbCyBxEyEnAy@hAe@lASfAG~C@fEJ|DZdENxJIbHJbAA^WhA{Ch@yGd@aQnIwOp@e@`@AxCFbGx@fCLx@Sv@q@jEiGdCyC`@MnFKx@QhMuI`@g@jGgOZeAzCeOJyCc@_kBBeBnBoYAoAyA{FDee@j@Mth@Bh@ATKTk@?y@HgZ websites: - url: https://www.codot.gov/travel/colorado-byways/northwest/flat-tops-trail name: Colorado Byways - url: https://www.colorado.com/byways/flat-tops-trail name: Colorado Travel Guide - url: https://www.coloradodirectory.com/maps/flattops.html name: Colorado Vacation Directory - url: https://www.americanlegacytours.org/colorado/flat-tops-trail-road-trip/ name: National Travel Center - url: https://www.thearmchairexplorer.com/colorado/flat-tops-trail-scenic-byway.php name: The Armchair Explorer attractions: - url: https://www.fs.usda.gov/mbr name: Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland - url: https://www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver name: White River National Forest designations: - National Forest Scenic Byway - Colorado State Scenic Byway states: - CO ll: - -107.88329299999998 - 40.03894000000008 bounds: - - -107.88329299999998 - 39.94073900000012 - - -106.90862299999998 - 40.22032900000005 --- This byway cuts through the heart of the original White River Plateau Timberland Reserve, set aside in the late 19th century as the second unit of what eventually became the National Forest system. Two decades later, in a foreshadowing of the 1964 Wilderness Act, development of any kind was banned around Trapper's Lake (the "Cradle of Wilderness"). The area's long-standing history of preservation and multiple-use land management makes for pristine scenery and superlative wildlife viewing. Yet this remains very much a "working" byway, dotted with active mines, ranches, and timber-producing woodlands. Meeker and Yampa, the route's two endpoints, embody the rugged individualism that lies at the heart of western lore.