CDOT opens newly renovated Shaw Creek Rest Area on US 160 in southern Colorado

News Release

Oct. 22, 2026 - Southwestern Colorado - Trinidad-area southbound off-ramp realignment improves visibility for motorists exiting the Interstate

Email [email protected] to access the media kit for photos of old rest area, new rest area and ribbon cutting event.

The fully renovated US 160 Shaw Creek Rest Area exterior. At the front of the building, an American flag and a Colorado state flag fly on a flagpole under a clear blue sky.
CDOT photo: The US 160 Shaw Creek Rest Area in southern Colorado has reopened to travelers. The newly renovated facility offers enhanced amenities such as increased space for commercial vehicle parking, additional picnic areas and a TV monitor that provides road information directly from CDOT’s COtrip.org travel planning site.

South-Central Colorado — The Colorado Department of Transportation announces the recent opening of the newly renovated Shaw Creek Rest Area. Renovation and reconstruction were needed to improve the existing and aged 59-year-old facility. The new rest area will enhance Colorado’s traveler experience. CDOT and local agency officials gathered Wed., Oct. 21 to celebrate the new facility and highlight its safety features.

The rest area is located between South Fork and Del Norte and is used by US Highway 160 motorists seeking respite and shelter while traveling across southern regions of the state. Originally built in 1967, the Shaw Creek Rest Area is one of the most popular and iconic rest areas in southern Colorado and throughout the greater Southwest.

Colorado Transportation Commissioner Barbara McLachlan shared history about the rest area frequently used by travelers.

“The name Shaw Creek comes from the Edwin Shaw Ranch, established near this site in the 1880s. The ranch doubled as a stop for the area's stage line, where passengers could rest, eat and water their horses. This stagecoach line was needed as a route for travelers from the San Luis Valley to mining camps in the San Juan Mountains,” McLachlan explained. “Once automobiles became the preferred mode of travel in the early 1900s, US Highway 160 became a major route across the southern part of Colorado. The expansion of the Interstate Highway System across the nation also spurred modern rest areas with parking, restrooms, picnic shelters and other amenities. Shaw Creek is one of these landmarks.”

Colorado Transportation Commissioner Barbara McLachlan addresses the audience.
Colorado Transportation Commissioner Barbara McLachlan addresses those in attendance at the Shaw Creek ribbon cutting on Oct. 21, 2026


Visitors from around the world travel to southern Colorado to enjoy attractions of the San Luis Valley, like the headwaters of the Rio Grande, the tallest sand dunes in North America, natural hot springs, historic mining towns and the annual migration of the sandhill crane.

“This reconstruction project reflects CDOT’s commitment to its number one priority - safety. This facility provides a secure and dependable place for weary travelers to rest as they traverse the southern part of the state,” said CDOT Regional Transportation Director Julie Constan.

Julie Constan addresses the audience at the Shaw Creek Rest Area ribbon cutting event
CDOT Regional Transportation Director Julie Constan speaks to those attending the Shaw Creek Rest Area celebration, Oct. 21, 2026

The fully renovated, modernized facility offers:

  • Expanded and safer parking for cars and commercial freight trucks
  • Disability-friendly, accessible restrooms, sidewalks, doors and signs
  • Ten covered picnic tables, many preserved from the original grounds
  • Upgraded utilities including improved electric power with underground conduit for future EV charging stations, new well water supply and pump system and new septic sewer system
  • Sustainable design features that reduce long-term operating costs

The renovation project has also incorporated several special and unique features into the new building:

  • Information technology - a TV monitor displays information from CDOT’s COtrip.org travel planning site
  • Full wall mural - five photos featuring area attractions inset atop a map of the south-central Colorado region
  • Historic tiled mural - a mosaic-tiled mural of a deer, created and mounted in the mid-1960s, was saved from the original building and inlaid on the floor of the new facility
  • Historical interpretive wall - four historic photos and descriptive captions of the original facility
  • Brochure wall - a display of more than 45 brochures highlighting area attractions and local information

“The newly renovated rest area makes travel safer and more welcoming for everyone who comes through our state, from commercial truck operators to families on vacation,” added Constan. “The TV screen will provide valuable and up-to-date information, alerting travelers to changing road conditions, emergency closures or highway construction.”

A heavy machinery carefully carried the mosaic-tiled mural of a deer, created in the mid-1960s, was saved from the original building.
CDOT photo: A mosaic-tiled mural of a deer, created in the mid-1960s, was saved from the original building.

The preserved mosaic tile mural depicting a deer jumping over a barrier is inlaid on the floor below the wall of historical photos and facts.
CDOT photo: The preserved mosaic-tiled mural is now inlaid on the floor of the new facility, just below a wall of historical photos and facts, and a TV monitor that displays travel information.

Additionally, upgrades were required for CDOT’s Shaw Creek maintenance patrol housed on the rest area property. Shaw Creek patrol personnel are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the rest area facility, maintaining and clearing the parking areas and maintaining and clearing the US 160 highway stretching from South Fork to Del Norte.

Incorporated into the new rest area building, enhancements address operational issues and increase capacity for maintenance equipment storage and winter snow storage on-site. Improved maintenance features include:

  • New office, break room, restroom and shower for staff
  • New storages for supplies and materials
  • New mechanical and garage space that will be used to store a pick-up truck with plow, tractor with plow, snowblowers, mowers, and other maintenance equipment

The Shaw Creek Rest Area renovation project began in July 2025. The $5.2 million project was made possible by the Rest Area Capital Construction and Freight Asset Categories funds. The new rest area is a part of CDOT’s ongoing effort to improve safety and resilience for travelers, ensuring the state’s transportation system continues to support both local communities and Colorado’s statewide economy.

CDOT and local agency officials gathered on Oct. 21 to celebrate the newly renovated Shaw Creek Rest Area facility.
CDOT and local agency officials gathered on Oct. 21 to celebrate the newly renovated Shaw Creek Rest Area facility.

Know Before You Go

Travelers are urged to “know before you go.” Gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:

Remember: Slow For The Cone Zone

The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones.

  • Do not speed in work zones. Obey the posted speed limits.
  • Stay Alert! Expect the unexpected.
  • Watch for workers. Drive with caution.
  • Don't change lanes unnecessarily.
  • Avoid using mobile devices such as phones while driving in work zones.
  • Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can see you.
  • Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones.
  • Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
  • Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.
  • Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so.
  • Be patient!

Download the COtrip App!

The new free COtrip Planner mobile app was designed to meet the growing trend of information on mobile and tablet devices for the traveling public. The COtrip Planner app provides statewide, real-time traffic information, and works on mobile devices that operate on the iOS and Android platforms. Visit the Google Play Store (Android devices) or the Apple Store (iOS devices) to download!