Towing a 30’ fifth wheel. We don’t like driving in big cities and avoid them when possible. Going west in June on I-70 out of KS---does anyone know of any problem with getting off 70 from near Limon, CO onto Hwy 86 to Castle Rock, CO and then either get on I-25 N to 470 or take Hwy 85 NW to 470 to get back onto I-70 and continue West to Dillon, CO? On map appears to be good, major highways. This would allow us to skip going through Denver. THX for advice.

All of the routes you mention take you through the suburbs of Denver. Traffic on I-25 and US 85 can both be very busy. Be warned that weekends in June and July those roads get very busy as the Renaissance Festival is near Larkspur south of Denver and traffic gets even worse. C-470 also gets backed up certain times of day on weekdays. IMHO, staying on I-70 is your best bet. Just avoid rush hour and things should flow smoothly, assuming there's not an accident, which can happen on any of the roads listed.

4runnerguy wrote:All of the routes you mention take you through the suburbs of Denver. Traffic on I-25 and US 85 can both be very busy. Be warned that weekends in June and July those roads get very busy as the Renaissance Festival is near Larkspur south of Denver and traffic gets even worse. C-470 also gets backed up certain times of day on weekdays. IMHO, staying on I-70 is your best bet. Just avoid rush hour and things should flow smoothly, assuming there's not an accident, which can happen on any of the roads listed.What Ken said. That whole south part of the Denver Metro area has a lot of traffic seemingly all the time. Every time I've been down that way, regardless of the time of day, there's traffic. Keep in mind that the Denver Tech Center (a HUGE complex of offices and various businesses) is there as well as an Ikea store that generates a lot of traffic. There's also a lot of residential areas there in the Highlands Ranch/Centennial area and the attendant traffic. Additionally, there's light rail that runs down to that area, and so you'll have commuter traffic getting/to from the park and rides. Getting on C-470 won't really resolve any issues you may have with going through a city, as you'll be going through dense suburbs. This is true during the week as well as weekends. Also, there's a lot of folks that use C-470 to get to US 285 south -- recreational traffic on weekends, commuters heading back and forth to/from Evergreen and Conifer areas.

OH MY!! I am glad I asked!! THANKS and we will follow your advice and just scoot on thru Denver on our way west. Happy Trails.

You can probably "scoot" thru if you can do it early in the morning, before the morning rush, (7-9am). Even in midday I70 east of I25 for about 5-6 miles carries a lot of traffic and part of it is elevated so it is a bottleneck. But it is direct and still better then the route you are considering, IMO.

How far west are you going? Be aware of the big problem at Glenwood Canyon.

I-70 W in Colorado | Good Sam Community

33 Replies

paulj
Explorer II
Mar 12, 2016
Landslide blog - dancing rocks

A scientist who follows landslides around the world posted this Colorado I70 video, of rocks dancing down the hillside during the recent cleanup. I think there was crew at the top of the slope knocking loose stuff off. It gives idea of why DOT crews err on the side of caution when blocking traffic after landslides.
Thom02099
Explorer II
Feb 29, 2016
BillyandKris wrote:
Hey I forgot....back to our original subject. We got off track. LOL How would it be towing getting off I70 on Exit 232 at Empire and taking Hwy 40 north thru Winter Park to get to Granby versus going on to Dillon/Silverthorne and taking 9 N to Kremmling and back east to Granby. I think 40 North would be shorter, but is it better choice? THX again.

"Better" is always subjective. One person's better is another person's worse. It's really 6 of one, half dozen of the other. Either way, you've got a climb to do. The top out elevation is comparable.

There's the climb approach to the Johnson/Eisenhower Tunnels and the long decline into Silverthorne/Dillon area. Or the climb from Empire to the top of Berthoud Pass and the (comparatively) shorter, albeit twistier decline into Winter Park. Personally, I always dread that climb to Johnson/Eisenhower, because there's a lot of very slow moving trucks to contend with. Not so much traffic on the US 40 route, particularly if you do it during the week.
Thom02099
Explorer II
Feb 29, 2016
RV daytrader wrote:
To the OPs question about I70 thru Denver...if you can do it early on a Sunday morning, I70 thru Denver is almoat empty...we laugh about how deserted it is then!

True Dat! Had to drive to DIA from Evergreen not too long ago, on a Sunday morning. Going out to DIA at 8:30AM, very little traffic. Returning around 11ish, a bit more traffic but certainly much less than on a week day.
RV_daytrader
Explorer
Feb 28, 2016
To the OPs question about I70 thru Denver...if you can do it early on a Sunday morning, I70 thru Denver is almoat empty...we laugh about how deserted it is then!
Busskipper
Explorer
Feb 28, 2016
BillyandKris wrote:
Hey I forgot....back to our original subject. We got off track. LOL How would it be towing getting off I70 on Exit 232 at Empire and taking Hwy 40 north thru Winter Park to get to Granby versus going on to Dillon/Silverthorne and taking 9 N to Kremmling and back east to Granby. I think 40 North would be shorter, but is it better choice? THX again.

All up to you - over the mountain - I love it, the road is wide and the turns are wide and easy - going down just down shift and keep it under control.

9 is a beautiful drive along the River to Kremlin, both are fine but IMHO you will like the River over the Mountain drive.

If in Doubt just watch a Utube.

Busskipper
BillyandKris
Explorer
Feb 28, 2016
Hey I forgot....back to our original subject. We got off track. LOL How would it be towing getting off I70 on Exit 232 at Empire and taking Hwy 40 north thru Winter Park to get to Granby versus going on to Dillon/Silverthorne and taking 9 N to Kremmling and back east to Granby. I think 40 North would be shorter, but is it better choice? THX again.
Busskipper
Explorer
Feb 28, 2016
BillyandKris wrote:
Busskipper, OMG How cool! I LOVE your photo. Great shot! What month was this taken? We will be there Sept. 15-22 hiking and biking. We are staying at Basalt and plan to do some hikes at Aspen and Maroon Bells.

I can't take credit for that one but I usually try to time a trip to Colorado for the last week of September That is the best time to be in Colorado - Snow - warm - color - not crowded -all my favorites in Colorado.

Put these locations on to Google
Crystal Springs
Crested Butte
Independence Pass
Ouray
Red Cliff
Twin Lakes
Turquoise Lake

Add an extra week and you will always want to come back - Just Heaven.

For us it is just an added bonus to the 4 Granddaughters.

Enjoy planning your trip,

Busskipper
BillyandKris
Explorer
Feb 28, 2016
Busskipper, OMG How cool! I LOVE your photo. Great shot! What month was this taken? We will be there Sept. 15-22 hiking and biking. We are staying at Basalt and plan to do some hikes at Aspen and Maroon Bells.
Busskipper
Explorer
Feb 28, 2016
The Bells in Colorado

Same blue sky with the beautiful Yellow - Big Rock instead of a Highway
BillyandKris
Explorer
Feb 27, 2016
OK here we go. First time to do this. Let me know if it works. Yay it worked. THANKS. "...comes a lone rider" on the Mesabi Trail in Minnesota last summer.

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I-70 W in Colorado

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