High on lingering hype served up by our 500-mile one-day motorcycle road trip around Colorado’s Central Mountain region last weekend, my riding buddies and I made plans to hit the road again – this time setting our sights to the south. Once again, this is a road trip that can be enjoyed by anyone in a motorized vehicle, regardless of whether you’ve got two wheels or four.

Before digging into this route, I should mention that our ride was a condensed version of this thanks to weather concerns and prior commitments later in the day. Our ride basically consisted of a scenic drive down Highway 115 to Skyline Drive and Cañon City and back. That said, the trip detailed below is one I’ve put together based on previous travels or recommendations from trusted friends, meant to deliver many great views and experiences along a full loop that travels around 14,115-foot Pikes Peak.

Leaving out of Colorado Springs, we cruised down CO Highway 115 on our way to Cañon City, which offers mostly two-lane highway driving through rolling hills and scenic terrain. Notably, this also includes a 12-mile stretch known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars Warriors Memorial Highway, so it’s sometimes referred to by that term, too. This road stretches about 30 miles from Colorado Springs to Penrose, with a westward turn on US Highway 50 soon dropping travelers into Cañon City.

Cañon City is perhaps best known for three key attractions – the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park (which features a bridge and gondola that stretch high above a narrow 956-foot canyon), the Royal Gorge Route Railroad (which offers a scenic train ride along the bottom of the aforementioned canyon), and Skyline Drive (a narrow one-way road that shows off stunning views of the surrounding terrain from high above town).

Royal Gorge Bridge and Park makes for a perfect two-hour stop unless one is hoping to embark on some of the more adventurous attractions at the destination, like the via ferrata. Meanwhile, the Royal Gorge train experience lasts about three hours, while Skyline Drive – about three miles long, takes about 30 minutes to drive with a stop for photos. Depending on your own road trip schedule, take your pick. All three of these attractions have long-been noteworthy reasons that tourists add Cañon City to their itinerary. Other spots to check out with a bit more of a focus on outdoor recreation include the Arkansas Riverwalk trail system, Island in the Sky Trail (great for skilled mountain bikers who love rocky terrain especially), and Shelf Road – one of the best rock climbing destinations in the state. Wine-lovers may also be interested in seeing what The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey is serving up.

As far as food and drink goes, our moto group opted to stop at World’s End Brewing Company – a spot known for both its food and beer. Oddly, there are plenty of great options for food in Cañon City despite its lower population – another spot I love that comes with outdoor games is Whitewater Bar & Grill, perfect for a sunny summer day. One of my riding buddies also recommended a spot called Bunk House Burgers – which has a 4.5-star rating on Google Reviews.

After our World’s End stop, our group shot back up to Colorado Springs via Highway 115 again as storm clouds loomed in the distance. That said, for the sake of this piece, let’s say we did the full loop instead.

Out of Cañon City, take High Park Road from the western edge of town up to Teller County Road 1 and down into Victor. High Park Road is part of the Gold Belt Scenic Byway and its got a rich history of connecting mining towns in the Wild West days.

Once in Victor, enjoy the small town vibes and make the quick trek to Rita the Rock Planter, also referred to as the Victor Troll. Created by artist Thomas Dambo (who also created the famous Breckenridge Troll, as well), a visit to Rita offers a great photo op and stretching views.

From Victor, pop back down into Cripple Creek – try your luck at the casinos if you’d like – and then swing on out to Divide. If you need to make a pit stop, Divide’s Paradox Beer Company is a great option with food and drinks and on a pleasant day, there’s a great view of Pikes Peak to be seen from it’s patio.

Leaving Divide behind, it’s a pretty straight shot through Woodland Park – plenty of great stops here, too – back to Colorado Springs via Ute Pass and Highway 24. Wine-lovers that checked out The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey in Cañon City may also want to stop at Wines of Colorado, found at the base of Pikes Peak.

After Ute Pass, travelers will be entering the west side of the Colorado Springs area. A stop in Manitou Springs can be a great addition to the trip at this point, or if you’re hoping to just pop off the road for a quick brew, Fossil Craft Beer lies just ahead. This west side of Colorado Springs is also home to Red Rock Canyon Open Space, which features plenty of shorter hikes that are great for shaking out the legs after hours in a vehicle.

Overall, this road trip delivers big on ‘Wild West’ vibes, featuring winding roads that show off stunning views of the Pikes Peak region and its gold rush days.

Obviously, consuming alcohol is mentioned on this road trip. As with any road trip that mentions alcohol, a designated driver is strongly recommended. Remember, elevation can amplify the effects of alcohol and winding mountain roads are no place for any level of impairment, below the legal limit or not.