Colorado Loop - anything else we should know?

jolooote wrote:
I hope you are going to stop/camp and sight see on this trip. If so, this route is skipping most of the grandure of Colorado. If you MUST start at Sante Fe I'd take 84 up to Pagosa Springs. 160 west to Durango. Ride the Durango Silverton train. Than west to Mesa Verde Nat'l Pk. Next west to Delores and north up Rt.145/62 and connect to 550 up to Montrose. Along Rt.145 is a wonderful mountain stream, Forest CG called Cayton on the map. It has ELECTRIC sites! On up to connect 550 at Ridgeway is another great State Pk called Ridgeway. While in this 550 area, I'd SURE camp somewhere and take the toad to drive between Ouray & Silverton. You could go up Rt.550 at Durango, which is also beautiful, but that road scares me.
At Montrose area I'd camp at the Nat'l Pk CG at Black Canyon Gunnison. Beautiful CG with an electric/water loop. Rt.50 east is a very beautiful drive all the way to Canyon City where I would certainly stop to see Royal Gorge.

2X...

I will doing the Colorado trip my self in middle of July leaving Southerner N M , I hope to get as far as Gunrunner, after our Texas trip and then Arizona come home and off to Colorado thanks for the sigh suggestion.

4runnerguy wrote:
Nope, all good routes (at least the ones in CO). Taking CO 114 as the cutoff to US 50 is a good move. Going back on US 50 means Monarch Pass, but there are passing lanes most of the way up that pass. They plow the shoulders here as well as the parking lot at the top of Monarch Pass.

If you're looking for a break, check out Cimarron between Blue Mesa and Montrose. Nice little NPS museum there.

Don't know what you have going on in Manitou Springs, but given the choice, I always recommend staying around Salida over any place along the Front Range. The upper Arkansas River Valley has so much to do and see without the traffic down in Manitou.

+1 on this! All good routes.

Also, if you get a chance, and the weather/conditions are cooperating, stop at the top of Monarch Pass and take the scenic tram to the top at Monarch Crest. There's a gift shop up there (should be open, weather permitting) and the views are incredible, some of the best in Colorado.

Would not go into that part of the country without our weather radio.

We did 4 corners, Mesa verde, Durango, and 550 up to Ouray about 6 years in a solo trip. Also came thru Durango and Pagosa last year on the return from Utah.

We are staying 4 days at Montrose and 4 days at Manitou and will do day trips from camp. Most of the "to do" things you have mentioned are on our list, especially at Montrose. Montrose looks a bit relaxed and natural, and more and more Manitou Springs is starting to feel commercial.

Like you, everyone else tells us we should stay longer. We have just retired from our own very intense rat races, and still trying to get into the groove of going places and doing nothing. Last year we did a 23 day (total) trip to Utah and both of us were ready to be home on the 20th day. This year the total trip length has been adjusted to continue our transition but not to make us uncomfortable. If it doesn't feel like fun, then it isn't. I'm confident we will get to mindless wandering (meant in a good way) eventually, but it isn't a transition either of us could do suddenly.

Our return from Manitou to north Alabama is not planned nor reserved (gasp!). I'm considering a return leg thru Dodge city Kansas and then picking up I-40 at OK city. Looks like the leg thru Kansas would be all secondary roads, a good thing, but doesn't appear to be much infrastructure along the way. Clinton OK looks to have a good Route 66 museum plus Red Canyon that might be worth a 2 day stop. Any ideas on this or other return legs headed east?

Thanks again for your advice.

TundraTower wrote:
Pulling a 32' TT thru Colorado 6/11-18. Route is:
=on 6/11, Santa Fe to Montrose via 285, then 114, then 50
=on 6/15, Montrose to Manitou Springs via 50 and 24
=on 6/18, Manitou to Kansas or Texas, eventually back to I-40 eastbound(not fully defined yet)

I have subscribed to the Col DOT updates on roadwork on Monarch Pass and 550 south of Montrose so aware of that.

Anything else noteworthy on this path that we need to avoid or be aware of?? tunnels?Tunnels? Flooding(!) Snow that might still be there other that shoulders on the passes?

Thanks.

When you get to Manitou give me a ping and we'll go have a Margarita somewhere. Better yet I'll bring em' to your campsite.

You should be okay although it looks like you are doing too many miles per day to me. No Tunnels on that route to worry about. Colorado DOT will be working on some of those roads and not tell you via DOT website probably. Most years I would say snow would not be an issue and I wouldn't expect it to be this year either but this year has been something else with all of our rain and snow -- no guarantees from me. Snow has been falling heavily in the high country lately. Good for our water table.

Enjoy.

I hope you are going to stop/camp and sight see on this trip. If so, this route is skipping most of the grandure of Colorado. If you MUST start at Sante Fe I'd take 84 up to Pagosa Springs. 160 west to Durango. Ride the Durango Silverton train. Than west to Mesa Verde Nat'l Pk. Next west to Delores and north up Rt.145/62 and connect to 550 up to Montrose. Along Rt.145 is a wonderful mountain stream, Forest CG called Cayton on the map. It has ELECTRIC sites! On up to connect 550 at Ridgeway is another great State Pk called Ridgeway. While in this 550 area, I'd SURE camp somewhere and take the toad to drive between Ouray & Silverton. You could go up Rt.550 at Durango, which is also beautiful, but that road scares me.
At Montrose area I'd camp at the Nat'l Pk CG at Black Canyon Gunnison. Beautiful CG with an electric/water loop. Rt.50 east is a very beautiful drive all the way to Canyon City where I would certainly stop to see Royal Gorge.

Nope, all good routes (at least the ones in CO). Taking CO 114 as the cutoff to US 50 is a good move. Going back on US 50 means Monarch Pass, but there are passing lanes most of the way up that pass. They plow the shoulders here as well as the parking lot at the top of Monarch Pass.

If you're looking for a break, check out Cimarron between Blue Mesa and Montrose. Nice little NPS museum there.

Don't know what you have going on in Manitou Springs, but given the choice, I always recommend staying around Salida over any place along the Front Range. The upper Arkansas River Valley has so much to do and see without the traffic down in Manitou.