This Scenic Colorado Road Trip Is Packed With Hidden Gems and Mountain Views

Now that Colorado's weather is getting better, it's time we gas up our trusty steed and hit the road.

We're always looking for the "lesser-known" locations around the state, since everyone --and we mean everyone-- is visiting the popular towns. Let's show some love to the more "off-beat" towns of Colorado.

Make sure you have your giant bag of licorice, some energy drinks, and anything else a 12-year-old would buy with $20 packed in your cooler for a road trip. We're going to hit Colorado's San Juan Skyway.

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Our Starting Point: Grand Junction, Colorado

You can start where you're located in Colorado. Since we're in Grand Junction, it only makes sense to start from here.

We'll travel south on Highway 50 until we hit Ridgway and US550. From there, we're going to head down CO62 towards Placerville. We're going to stop and check out the Dallas Divide.

Location One: Dallas Divide

While it's not a town, it is an impressive geological feature. You'll get amazing views of the Sneffels Range. The road through the area is full of pull-offs to stop and take pictures of the views.

READ MORE: One Lengthy Road Trip Includes Five Iconic Colorado Waterfalls

That's just the first location. While you're on that offshoot of the San Juan Skyway, you can continue to visit Placerville, Telluride and check out the history there.

Location Two: Opir, Colorado

We included this as number two since you have to go through Telluride to get here. Ophir is rich with history, since it was home to the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, which was one of, if not the, first places in the US to generate AC electricity.

Other than its amazing history, you'll see more amazing Colorado views, and very little people.

That's why we're choosing these places, right?!

Location 3: Rico, Colorado

We're making this difficult to hit all these locations in one fell swoop, but they're all worth the visit, we promise.

Rico is a historic silver mining town where you'll pretty much experience the old-timey ways. Stop to check out old remnants of the mining town, grab a bite to eat downtown, and don't worry about overcrowded sidewalks.

Location 4: Silverton, Colorado

We know, we know, Silverton really isn't that big of a secret, but the difficulty in getting there makes it an "off-beat" town.

If you're not used to driving scary mountain passes, you'll want to skip this one. The Million Dollar Highway isn't for the faint of heart. It is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the US.

If you do brave the road, you'll be rewarded with breathtaking views of Red Mountain Pass as you make your way to one of the cutest little towns in Colorado.

READ MORE: Colorado's Most Dangerous Road Rated as State's Best Road Trip

Enjoy some food. Shop the quaint shops. And do it all without feeling claustrophobic by people.

You could do all these locations in one trip with a little redirection here and there. There are some off-road trails that could make it possible, but we're not suggesting any of those.

This would be a perfect weekend trip for the family to enjoy, though, so make the most of it.