Eleven Mile Canyon Auto Tour

Eleven Mile Canyon Auto Tour is managed by the Forest Service to protect its rich natural resources and historic sites and to provide public recreation. The focal point along this 9-mile route is the South Platte River, which begins high above Fairplay and flows in a southeastern direction across South Park. Below Eleven Mile Reservoir, the river turns northeast and cuts into the Pikes Peak batholith—a large mass of igneous rock. Originally called "Granite Canyon," the towering walls are composed of Pikes Peak granite that have been polished gray from years of weathering. In places, the canyon rises dramatically 500 feet above the river.