Fodor's Expert Review Battle Highway

As you make your way west to Baggs over the Battle Highway (Highway 70), you'll cross the Continental Divide and the Rocky Mountains. This route takes you through the mining country that was developed during the 1897–1908 copper-mining boom in the Sierra Madres; interpretive signs along the way point out historic sites. Legend has it that in 1878, Thomas Edison was fishing near Battle Pass with a bamboo rod when he began to ponder the idea of a filament, which led to his invention of the incandescent light bulb. Note that this section of the highway closes to car travel in winter, though it stays open for snowmobiles.