Rocky Mt NP to Mesa Verde

Padlin wrote:
Looking for someone that knows the roads in the Rockies in the Denver area.

Doing some early planning for a trip from Ma to Ut late next Sept for a couple months. Early plan is spend a few days east side of RMNP, then drive to Timber Creek on the west side for a few nights, then to Mesa Verde before hitting Ut. Google shows it's doable but it doesn't take into consideration one is towing a trailer.

I do have the option to leave the trailer on the east side and stay at a hotel in Grand Lake for a couple nights, returning to the east side before heading to Mesa Verde.

Questions:
How's 34 from the east to west side of the park, when towing?

Google shows a few option to get from Grand Lake to MV,
285/160

70/50/62/145
and 70/191/491
Are any of these viable towing my FW, or should I use plan B and figure on going the hotel route.

Regarding your route from RMNP to MV, I've used US 285/US 160 many times and for me, it's the best route. "Best" is subjective, by that I mean, easiest to drive, most scenic (for me), and excellent roadway, with less traffic than I-70.

If you choose that route, take US 36 out of Estes Park down to Lyons, and then take CO 66 across from Lyons through the north part of Longmont and get on I-25 there. If you take US 36 down through Boulder and on to Denver, you'll run into a LOT of construction on the Boulder Turnpike part of US 36 and traffic will be exponentially heavier.

From I-25/CO 66 go south to where I-76 splits off and joins I-70. Take I-70 west to CO 470, which loops around the west side of the Denver Metro area. You can pick up US 285 south near Morrison, and take it through some of the most beautiful parts of Colorado. Once you get off CO 470, you'll have good (but a bit twisty) 4-lane roadway as you climb the canyon up to the Evergreen/Conifer area, and it does come out of the canyon fairly quickly. It's good 4-lane/3-lane to Pine Junction area, where you'll descend into Bailey. From Bailey south, you'll be on 2 lane to Kenosha Pass. STOP at Kenosha Pass! The vistas there are truly breathtaking, you can see all of South Park, and it is simply awe inspiring!

(As a sidebar to this, for a while I was driving from Loveland to Conifer several times a month solo, for 2-3 years and for me, this was the best route to avoid major traffic congestion on that route)

The trip across South Park is not difficult. Even though you're at elevation (9000 feet +), it's reasonably flat, with a few very minor passes until you get to Johnson Village/Buena Vista area. Heading south over Poncha Pass is not difficult, and once over, you'll have the vistas of the San Luis Valley, another sight to behold!

Once you join up with US 160, the only real challenge is Wolf Creek Pass, but it's been improved over the years and it's really not as difficult as it used to be. Yes, it's a climb. Yes, it's a long way down on the west side, but it's good roadway and MH/trailers do it all the time as a major E/W route. Once you get down to Pagosa Springs, it's really a pleasant drive in to Durango and on to Mesa Verde.