best route from Bend OR to Rocky Mtn NP

yaya wrote:
We are planning a cross country trip and the best route for this leg of the trip worries me. We have a 30'MH and will be towing a Jeep.I am worried about the drive through the mountains with the tow. We are planning on taking 84 to 80 to 25. Has anyone every done that route, and is it something I should be losing sleep over?

I'm presuming from your description that you'll be staying in Estes Park/east side of RMNP. You don't indicate when. I'm going to again presume that it's going to be during warmer/summer months when weather will not be a factor.

The highest point on the trip on I-80 is at ~8600 feet outside of Laramie WY, at an uphill for about 6 miles coming out of Laramie, headed to Cheyenne. It's not difficult.

It can be completely avoided by getting off I-80 in Laramie and taking US 287 from Laramie to Fort Collins CO. Mostly flat from Laramie south to the state line, where there's a bit of a climb with 3-4 lanes, and then it's an easy drive south. The highest point is at the state line and it will be primarily down hill all the way. There's some rolling hills and a lot of truck traffic, but there's lots of climb/passing lanes the entire way and it's a beautiful drive.

When you get in to Fort Collins, best bet is to follow the CO 14 truck route through the north part of town, which will take you out to I-25. If you are doing this AFTER Memorial Day 2017, get off in Loveland and take US 34 up to Estes Park. If you are doing this BEFORE Memorial Day 2017, you'll have to go down to Longmont to the CO 66 exit, and take that to Lyons, and then US 36 up to Estes Park. There's major reconstruction on US 34 west of Loveland heading to Estes Park, and it's closed until Memorial Day weekend (CDOT's target for reopening it).