Grand Lake Colorado

I meant no offense to your viewpoint. There is plenty to do in RMNP just not in your car. It is not "locked away from the public" you just cant do it in a vehicle.

Yellowstone is 9 times the size of RMNP but it only has 4 times as much road, it only has less than 3 times the amount of trail mileage. Does the YNP loop road get you to some of the great features of the park yes but you only see 20% of the park unless you get on the trails or back country regardless of length. Not really different than RMNP. Arches National Park has several thousand arches in it if you stay on the road you will see maybe 50 at best the rest take walking to see and yet there are only about 10 trails in that park that will get you to see another 50 at best the rest is get a back country permit and go for it.

While I do like Abbey to a certain degree as a writer I have never thought of myself as Abbeyesq, no monkey wrenching for me or over the top views on environmental issues or access but the fact is we cant all go everywhere we would like to go. Same applies to me. There are many places that I would like to go and see but don't have the strength, fortitude, stamina, equipment, financial wherewithal or whatever other reason to do so and so be it doesn't mean that that particular location doesn't have a lot of appeal or nothing to do for someone else for some of those same reasons. Does RMNP have less spectacular sites than YNP well that would depend on what you like. The thermal features there are fantastic but some in my family could care less about them. Grand Tetons National Park is there even one road that penetrates the mountains within the park, no but still eyeball bustin' scenery and worth going to see.

Just a different viewpoint not meaning to rag on yours.

As far as nothing to do there well that is fairly subjective. No there are not a bunch of roads that criss cross the park to get you into every nook and cranny of it but that is also part of the good part that if you are willing you can get away from it all there which can mean a hike of mile or two or as was put 40 miles whatever floats your boat.
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With the exception of Old Falls River Rd, which we have been on or 3 times. And the Wild Basin Rd there are no roads into the park.

Large Map 13 MB

The shorter, 5 mile or so round trip hikes don't really take you anywhere interesting. We've done most of them. So you are taking the Edward Abbey line that if you are not capable of a 40 mile round trip backpack, then you should not have access to the park.

Glacier for example is much more friendly to the majority of park visitors. And so is YNP and even Yosemite. You can spend a week cruising the back roads of Big Bend and GSMNP has a road net. Even tho the great majority will never do anything other than drive the main route. But not RMNP where 90% of the park is locked away from the public.

agesilaus wrote:
I'll have to say that RMNP is somewhat disappointing in the things to do category when compared to other major parks. I was expecting more on the west side but it wasn't there. This is especially aggravating since you can see all those fascinating valleys that cannot be accessed unless you are a tough 40 mile backpacker. Which few of us are.

Grand Lake and the other towns along there are basically strip mall tourist traps. It's a fair drive to get into RMNP from there too.

As has been noted before, the east (Estes Park) side of RMNP, while way more crowded, has a lot more in the way of short and intermediate length trails. If the altitude isn't too much for the OP, on the west side I would recommend the 10 mile round trip hike to Mt. Ida. As spectacular as anything on the east side.

What gateway town to any of our national parks isn't pretty touristed? West Yellowstone, Gatlinburg YN, Jackson WY, Springdale and Moab UT are some other examples. I actually find Grand Lake to be a throwback to an earlier era, kind of like Estes Park was 40 or 50 years ago.

As for the OP's question, yes, the route through Laramie is definitely less of a pull than going through Denver. Going I-70 to US 40 to Grand Lake entails two pretty good grades. The first 10 miles up I-70 past Golden is a relatively steep grade with lots of traffic buzzing by you. Then the climb over Berthoud Pass will test your rig once again.

You can go I76 to I70 then US 40 going this way you will be just north of Denver. The steep grades are fine as long as you take care and use your engine break I have done this dozens of times and it really isn't as bad as people think. You really don't need to go that far out of the way.

I don't think the route is bad I don't recall any major passes to go over though I have never taken it pulling our 5th.

Previous poster is right about the tourist trap towns but many of the parks have that issue with neighboring towns. to make it worse on the west side it is also relatively close to 3 ski areas that are also quite tourist trappy as far as I am concerned and is a fairly popular hunting, atv and snowmobiling area. They may be touristy places but plenty of people seem to spend money in them as they are all still open. As far as nothing to do there well that is fairly subjective. No there are not a bunch of roads that criss cross the park to get you into every nook and cranny of it but that is also part of the good part that if you are willing you can get away from it all there which can mean a hike of mile or two or as was put 40 miles whatever floats your boat.
We tend to not go there (the park) hardly ever even though it is only about 2.5 hours from our house just too many people/vehicles for me but again if willing you can get away and we do once in a while up there. Regardless it is a beautiful area east side or west side. i

Not sure why the pp feels the park is such a long way from Grand Lake the west side entrance station is only a few miles outside the city limits. Though the park is one of the largest at about 400 square miles so it does take a while to get through it. Add 4-5 million visitors a year and as large as it is unless you get off the beaten path it seems crowded.

We stayed at or near Grand Lake for a 4 or 5 days this summer. Came in thru Denver, not as bad as expected. And left via the route you are talking about. Now let me say that I am very insensitive to grades but I don't recall anything serious going out 125. Seemed a lot longer than 40 miles tho, we were heading up into Wyoming. The route is mostly empty. So keep your fuel gauge above half full.

I'll have to say that RMNP is somewhat disappointing in the things to do category when compared to other major parks. I was expecting more on the west side but it wasn't there. This is especially aggravating since you can see all those fascinating valleys that cannot be accessed unless you are a tough 40 mile backpacker. Which few of us are.

Grand Lake and the other towns along there are basically strip mall tourist traps. It's a fair drive to get into RMNP from there too.