Heading West to Glenwood Springs, CO

Thom02099 wrote:
Given the choice, I'd rather take the extra time and the perceived slowness of the US 24 route, than the I-70 route. On I-70, in addition to having a lot of semi tractor/trailer traffic, depending on when you travel, there's also the recreational travel, particularly on the weekends. Keep in mind that there are still 2 ski areas open so there will be skier traffic on weekends as well as the camper/rv type folks to add to the semis. The approach to the Eisenhower/Johnson tunnels can frequently be at 15-20 mph due to traffic and that's a long climb from Georgetown.

A couple of notes here:

Except for Aspen Mtn this weekend, only Arapahoe Basin is still open. I believe the OP is planning a mid-summer trip anyway, although A-Basin may still be open . . . (We've skied there in late June).

Indeed if you hit I-70 on Friday night or Saturday morning, you can hit traffic heading west, but if you avoid those times, you'll rarely have the 15-20 mph backups.

In terms of scenery, I think each has its strong points. I travel both routes frequently (I've been on both I-70 and US 24 in the last week) and don't think one is prettier than the other.

The approach to Tennessee Pass from Leadville is one of the easier ways to get over the Continental Divide in CO. If you have an extra few days, US 24 through the Arkansas River Valley would meet your desire: "Would prefer to get off of interstate and see some local flair." If you spend some time there, it's worth heading as far south as Salida. If you want more info, check out this link.

If you want an even easier approach, once in CO Springs, head south on CO 115 to US 50 and take that to Salida and then up US 24 to Leadville. You'll be following the Arkansas River much of the way, so no steep grades.