Lariat Trail Scenic Mountain Drive

 road, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, historic district, scenic area

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Historic length of scenic roadway listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as a historic district. Officially opened in 1913, Lariat Trail was the first of several scenic drives constructed as part of Denver’s mountain park system. Beginning in Golden, where two 35-foot high stone pylons mark the entry, the drive connects with Floyd Hill Road at the top of Mount Vernon Canyon. Early designs were by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., and the survey and final layout was prepared by Saco R. DeBoer, Denver’s noted landscape architect of the period. William Williams, sometimes referred to as Cement Bill, served as construction superintendent. Six overlooks are located along the drive as it switches back and forth up the steep side of Lookout Mountain.