Gunnison, CO to Fort Collins, CO

Nothing in common. Grandkids in Fort Collins.

Another option is to take US 50 east to Poncha Springs, north on US 24 to Leadville. Take CO 9 to I-70. I-70 to Idaho Springs. Catch US 6 to CO 119 and take the Peak to Peak Highway. From there, you have a couple of options to get to Ft. Collins:

1. Take Co 7 to Lyons and CO 66. Depending on where you are trying to get to in Ft. Collins, you can take US 285 through Loveland to south Ft. Collins. If you are going to north Ft. Collins, I'd head over to I-25 and go north to what ever exit you are aiming for.

2. Continue to Estes Park and then take US 34 through the Big Thompson Canyon down to Loveland and you'll then have the same two options of US 287 or I-25.

This avoids Denver and take you though some great scenery at the expenses of having to take I-70 through the Eisenhower Tunnel, a pretty good pull.

Between Hayburn and Ft. Collins as your two possible destinations, I must say I can't figure out what they have in common?

Thom-I like to avoid I25 at all costs and yes, I like to take our time and see the scenery. Have been the way you suggest before and that Poudre Canyon is beautiful. Maybe we will go that way again. Thank you.

mittshel wrote:
Change of plans. DH wants to go to Fort Collins instead of Heyburn. What is the best way to go to stay off I25? Thank you. Betsy.

What is the best way to go to stay off I25?

"Best" is always subjective, depends on whether you want to take your time and see some scenery or if you just want to avoid I-25 at all costs (and with good reason!)

As noted above, you could take US 50/US 285 route and when you get to the junction with CO 470, you could take that north and get on I-70 and take that east to the Wadsworth Blvd exit, and take Wadsworth Blvd/Pkwy north to Lafayette. Yes, there will be traffic. No, you won't be on I-25! When you get to Lafayette you could continue on north on US 287 (which is what Wadsworth becomes north of Broomfield) all the way through Longmont, Berthoud, and Loveland to Fort Collins.

OR....you could take a more scenic route. Take the US 50/US 285 suggestion, but only as far as Fairplay. At Fairplay take CO 9 through Alma and over Hoosier Pass (11500 ft) and drop down into Breckenridge, continuing on CO 9 to Frisco and on to Silverthorne (via a very short section of I-70) and take CO 9 north through Summit County to Kremmling. There, you'll take US 40 east nearly to Grandby, but just prior you'll make a left and take CO 125 north over Willow Creek Pass (barely noticeable at 9600 ft) and continue on to Walden. There, you'll pick up CO 14 and take it east through Gould and over Cameron Pass (10200 ft) and drop down a very beautiful drive through the Upper Cache la Poudre Valley area and into Poudre Canyon, and continue on east to Laporte and Fort Collins area.

OR....you could just bite the bullet and take I-25. Timing is everything on I-25, unless there's an accident somewhere, in which case it will be a nightmare...more so than usual.

mittshel wrote:
Change of plans. DH wants to go to Fort Collins instead of Heyburn. What is the best way to go to stay off I25? Thank you. Betsy.

It's hard to stay off I-25 *completely*. You can postpone it via 285. Then I guess you could take 470 up and around Denver and pickup Highway 287N.


You'd be about 15 mins from my house at that point. :)

Highway 287 goes right into Fort Collins, but it's not a road I'd want to drive a large motorhome down either.

Can you share some more about how much you want to avoid I-25?

Hwy 50(E) for ~50 miles to Hwy 285(N) skirt around Denver on West side than pick up I25 north of Denver on to Fort Collins