Hello all!I'm taking my wife and 1 year old daughter to Denver for my family's Thanksgiving this year. This is our first year heading out there since moving to Dallas and I'm curious on the 2 primary routes I see available to me: I35/I70 and US287/I25.I spent most of my life in Kansas, and I've done I70 so many times I was really hoping to try something new and going 287-I25. My sister and friend are advising me to minimize risk and take the I70 route reducing exposure to the Front Range weather patterns.I will be leaving zip 75078 headed to Thornton, CO on Tuesday afternoon with a plan to make it to Raton sometime late (10 - 11pm depending on the daughter) on Tuesday. We would then get up and finish the drive up and over Raton Pass and I25 up through Pueblo, the Springs, and into Denver on Wednesday morning/early afternoon.The I35-I70 route is about 100 miles longer, but only registers as about 30 minutes longer duration. I will go this route if the weather dictates it to be a safer route, but as of now I don't see anything in the forecast for next week that would indicate any problems going US287-I25.Any thoughts? I'm hopeful someone familiar with the route this time of year can give me some insight.Thanks in advance.

Let me also add there will be no RV. We'll be doing this trip in her AWD Toyota Highlander.

We ran the basic reverse of this trip for a number of years from western Colorado to south of Okie City. Our favorite route with a good chance of decent weather was to go east to Interstate 25, at Pueblo, south to Raton, NM, east to Clayton, then Dalhart, to Amarillo. East on I 40 to Okie City and south on I 35. With that said, some of the worst winter weather I have ever seen has been in the Panhandle of Texas. One trip we were stuck in Shamrock for several days and had Turkey Day dinner there, rather than at my parents. If the Raton area has bad weather, go on east on Hwy 50, into Kansas and cut south when you find better weather to I 40. We had to do that a time or two. Make sure you have a good weather app or two on your smartphone. Carry winter gear for everyone with you, never know when you might need it.We normally made the trip in a 4 by Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Hwy 287, from Fort Worth to Amarillo is my current favorite summer road when we are headed from south Florida to western Colorado, which we do most summers. Up to I 40 at Okie City or to I 70 at Salina adds miles to using 287.

rosspulliam wrote:Hello all!I'm taking my wife and 1 year old daughter to Denver for my family's Thanksgiving this year. This is our first year heading out there since moving to Dallas and I'm curious on the 2 primary routes I see available to me: I35/I70 and US287/I25.I spent most of my life in Kansas, and I've done I70 so many times I was really hoping to try something new and going 287-I25. My sister and friend are advising me to minimize risk and take the I70 route reducing exposure to the Front Range weather patterns.I will be leaving zip 75078 headed to Thornton, CO on Tuesday afternoon with a plan to make it to Raton sometime late (10 - 11pm depending on the daughter) on Tuesday. We would then get up and finish the drive up and over Raton Pass and I25 up through Pueblo, the Springs, and into Denver on Wednesday morning/early afternoon.The I35-I70 route is about 100 miles longer, but only registers as about 30 minutes longer duration. I will go this route if the weather dictates it to be a safer route, but as of now I don't see anything in the forecast for next week that would indicate any problems going US287-I25.Any thoughts? I'm hopeful someone familiar with the route this time of year can give me some insight.Thanks in advance.I've done both, and as you said, it's pretty much weather dependent. US 287 (presumably to Dumas TX and then taking US 87/64 through Clayton NM up to Raton) to I-25 is not a bad drive. Two lane road but with passing lanes available, between Dumas and Raton. Raton is an easy pass, as Colorado passes go. Long range forecast, for now, looking favourable for you. Only real glitch at this point is Thanksgiving Day itself, looking for about a 50% chance of a wintry mix on that day.

Thanks for the feedback, this is right in line with my thinking. I don't see any reason to go out of my way to avoid the I25 route unless the weather forecast looks bad. We aren't coming back until Saturday, so unless that glitch on Thursday is an extended storm it shouldn't affect us coming back either.Thanks again! I'll keep watch for any additional comments.

You can take 287 all the way to Limon, Co. Two lane in Oklahoma and Colorado but very little traffic. You will not have to cross the pass at Raton. I did that trip this summer and it was very pleasant.

Dallas to Denver for Thanksgiving | Good Sam Community

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Thom02099
Explorer II
Nov 19, 2014
rosspulliam wrote:
Hello all!

I'm taking my wife and 1 year old daughter to Denver for my family's Thanksgiving this year. This is our first year heading out there since moving to Dallas and I'm curious on the 2 primary routes I see available to me: I35/I70 and US287/I25.

I spent most of my life in Kansas, and I've done I70 so many times I was really hoping to try something new and going 287-I25. My sister and friend are advising me to minimize risk and take the I70 route reducing exposure to the Front Range weather patterns.

I will be leaving zip 75078 headed to Thornton, CO on Tuesday afternoon with a plan to make it to Raton sometime late (10 - 11pm depending on the daughter) on Tuesday. We would then get up and finish the drive up and over Raton Pass and I25 up through Pueblo, the Springs, and into Denver on Wednesday morning/early afternoon.

The I35-I70 route is about 100 miles longer, but only registers as about 30 minutes longer duration. I will go this route if the weather dictates it to be a safer route, but as of now I don't see anything in the forecast for next week that would indicate any problems going US287-I25.

Any thoughts? I'm hopeful someone familiar with the route this time of year can give me some insight.

Thanks in advance.

I've done both, and as you said, it's pretty much weather dependent. US 287 (presumably to Dumas TX and then taking US 87/64 through Clayton NM up to Raton) to I-25 is not a bad drive. Two lane road but with passing lanes available, between Dumas and Raton. Raton is an easy pass, as Colorado passes go.

Long range forecast, for now, looking favourable for you. Only real glitch at this point is Thanksgiving Day itself, looking for about a 50% chance of a wintry mix on that day.
joe_b_
Explorer II
Nov 19, 2014
We ran the basic reverse of this trip for a number of years from western Colorado to south of Okie City. Our favorite route with a good chance of decent weather was to go east to Interstate 25, at Pueblo, south to Raton, NM, east to Clayton, then Dalhart, to Amarillo. East on I 40 to Okie City and south on I 35.

With that said, some of the worst winter weather I have ever seen has been in the Panhandle of Texas. One trip we were stuck in Shamrock for several days and had Turkey Day dinner there, rather than at my parents.
If the Raton area has bad weather, go on east on Hwy 50, into Kansas and cut south when you find better weather to I 40. We had to do that a time or two. Make sure you have a good weather app or two on your smartphone. Carry winter gear for everyone with you, never know when you might need it.

We normally made the trip in a 4 by Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Hwy 287, from Fort Worth to Amarillo is my current favorite summer road when we are headed from south Florida to western Colorado, which we do most summers. Up to I 40 at Okie City or to I 70 at Salina adds miles to using 287.
rosspulliam
Explorer
Nov 19, 2014
Let me also add there will be no RV. We'll be doing this trip in her AWD Toyota Highlander.

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Dallas to Denver for Thanksgiving

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