The South Platte River Trail Scenic and Historic Byway is a

Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways are highway and backroad routes in the U.S. state of Colorado designated by the Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Commission for their scenic and historic values. These byways follow existing roads or highwa ...

located in Sedgwick County,

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

, USA. The byway follows the historic trails used during

westward expansion The United States of America was created on July 4, 1776, with the U.S. Declaration of Independence of thirteen British colonies in North America. In the Lee Resolution two days prior, the colonies resolved that they were free and independent ...

. The route, which includes County Road 28 (CR 28) and U.S. Highway 138 (US 138), connects Ovid and Julesburg and encircles the

South Platte River The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West. It ...

. It was designated a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway in 1991.

Route

There is a

trailhead A trailhead is the point at which a trail begins, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles. Modern trailheads often contain rest rooms, maps, sign posts and distribution centers for information ...

for the byway at the Colorado Welcome Center at Julesburg. Informative

placard A placard is a notice installed in a public place, like a small :wikt:card, card, Signage, sign, or :wikt:plaque, plaque. It can be attached to or hung from a vehicle or building to indicate information about the vehicle operator or contents of a ve ...

s are found throughout the route to provide additional insight into the area's storied history. Area historic sites, three of which are on the route, include the 19th century

Fort Sedgwick Fort Sedgwick, also known as Post at Julesburg, Camp Rankin, and Fort Rankin was a U.S. military post from 1864 to 1871, in Sedgwick County, Colorado. There are two historical markers for the former post. The town was named for Fort Sedgwick, whic ...

, the state's only Pony Express home station, Telegraph Line, and Transcontinental railroad. Other historic sites include the Italian Caves, Devil's Dive, Upper California Crossing, a former

Prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. P ...

in Ovid, and the Julesburg Drag Racing Strip. Along the route, informative placards provide information about Fort Sedgwick, the Pony Express, and the Transcontinental Railroad.

Gallery

Notes

References

External links

South Platte River Trail Scenic and Historic Byway mapColorado Department of Transportation

Colorado Scenic & Historic Byways Commission
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Colorado Scenic & Historic Byways

Colorado Travel MapColorado Tourism OfficeHistory Colorado
{{coord, 40.9663, -102.2536, dim:10000_region:US-CO_type:city, name=Julesburg Welcome Center, Colorado, USA, display=title Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Transportation in Colorado Transportation in Sedgwick County, Colorado Tourist attractions in Colorado Tourist attractions in Sedgwick County, Colorado Interstate 76 U.S. Route 138 U.S. Route 385

Route

Gallery

See also

Notes

References

External links