The byway runs north from Cedaredge along Highway 65, to the top of the Grand Mesa at more than 10,000 feet (3,000 m). It also includes Land's End Road to the Land's End Observatory from Highway 65. The byway continues past Island Lake, one of more than 300 trout-filled lakes in Grand Mesa National Forest. On the north side of the Mesa are the towns of Mesa, Collbran, and Powderhorn Ski Resort. The byway continues along De Beque Canyon, with its colorful sandstone bluffs, and eventually meets Interstate 70 in the town of De Beque.