MVH1 wrote:
Thanks, we prefer RV parks and will have 2 weeks in Colorado. We have a 26 foot TT and will probably travel similar to the order I posted.
4runnerguy wrote:
I'd agree with the above assessments. You're probably looking at three days of driving in each direction. You might be able to get a night in at the Sand Dunes going or coming. Realize that getting from Durango to Estes Park is a full days drive. Dinosaur and Steamboat are way off of any route one might reasonable take between the other destinations. So head for the Durango/Silverton/Mesa Verde area and make that your destination. If you wanted to add another place, I'd suggest Salida, where you can raft, fish, mountain bike, 4x4 etc. But I sure wouldn't try to get to RMNP, Dinosaur, Denver, etc.
Another vote for Morefield CG in Mesa Verde. Your kids will get a kick visiting the various ruins. One has a series of ladders to climb to add to the experience.
Do take the train. An experience like no other train ride in the country. Get a copy of Cinders and Smoke by Doris B Osterwald. It gives a mile by mile account of your trip and point things out you might not otherwise notice.
Take another day and drive to Silverton. You'll have more time to explore than the 2 hours you'll have for lunch on the train ride. Plus there's lots to see above Silverton. THe drive up to Eureka and on to Animas Forks, a ghost town where they are restoring some of the old houses. Or rent a jeep and explore the higher and more rugged passes. There's an interesting mine tour.
Do a loop out of Durango up to Telluride and then over to Ouray. Take a few hours at the hot springs pool there. Then return through Silverton back to Durango. It makes for a long day, but you'll be passing through some amazing territory.
Thom02099 wrote:MVH1 wrote:
Thanks, we prefer RV parks and will have 2 weeks in Colorado. We have a 26 foot TT and will probably travel similar to the order I posted.MVH1 wrote:
Sorry it will be July when we go.
OK, with 2 weeks in July, and preference for RV parks, you really don't have a lot of time, if that 2 weeks includes driving to Colorado. My suggestion would be to go with just one area that you mentioned. You will get a lot of suggestions for other locations/destinations, but I'm going to respond based on what you specifically posted originally.
One option would be to focus on southwest Colorado -- Mesa Verde Durango/Silverton and perhaps the Great Sand Dunes. At Mesa Verde, Morefield CG inside the park has some FHU sites. This is a great location. I was just there in October, FHU site, and they are really quite nice. They are NOT jammed in like a parking lot, there's space between sites. There's a gift shop/fuel/showers there as well. Plan on at least 2 days/3 nights minimum there. You will also need to get reservations for the more popular cliff dwelling sites inside the park. You can get them on line or at the park, but you have to be early on the day you want them, or late in the day the day before, before the office closes. There is a LOT to see in Mesa Verde and there's a lot of driving involved, as the park is quite spread out.
Durango area. There's a lot to choose from in the way of RV Parks. Lightner Creek, United Campground, and Alpen Rose are all highly recommended by folks on here who've stayed there. Again in October, I was at United Campground and it was very nice, though the sites are close together. A major plus is that the Durango and Silverton train goes right THROUGH the park! You can sit at your rig and watch as it goes by or get up close and personal for great photo ops. The train ride itself is a must, and that's an all day affair. Lots of folks recommend taking the train up and taking the bus back for return. I've always done the train up and back, just because the scenery is incredible, and you'll be on different sides (reserved seating with open gondolas available).
Besides the train, there's a lot of activities in Durango itself. And there's the Million Dollar highway from Durango to Ouray CO that you would want to do in your TV. It's another full day of activities, and you could easily spend 3-4 days there.
Or, if you are an experienced mountain driver and not intimidated by shelf roads, drop offs and high elevations, you could move up to Ouray and stay there several days. The town itself is worth a full day and there's a lot to see and do in the area, including renting a 4x4 vehicle or ATV and doing some of the jeep trails in the area. It's a magnificent way to see the mountains up close.
If driving at high elevation and shelf roads is not something you enjoy, you could take a circuit route from Durango to Cortez (which is also worth a visit), and go up through Dolores and up and over Lizard Head Pass to Telluride, and on to Ridgway and stay at Ridgway State Park. It's near Ouray and gets great reviews. Or there's a KOA outside of Ouray that also gets great reviews, and from personal experience, would be the destination of choice for Ouray itself.
Depending on how much driving time you need to factor it, this could rapidly fill your itinerary. The Great Sand Dunes is a few hours east of Durango. A visit/stop at Pagosa Springs could be something you would enjoy as well. The Great Sand Dunes has a CG inside the park, there's a commercial RV park just outside, and there's a State Park not too far away, to choose from.
If I were in your shoes, I'd do this (or a variation) and plan on the other locations for another trip out here. Colorado is a big state and it would be time consuming driving to try to hit Colorado Springs, Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park AND Dinosaur in the same trip. You would not have a lot of time for any of these other destinations.
Whatever you decide, plan on making reservations early, in December/January for July reservations. Some places have a 180 day window. Use this as your guide - December 8th was the opening of that 180 day window for June 8. I know for a fact, since I made reservations specifically for that date in June and could not do so before December 8. Just calculate it out from that start point, to match your arrival dates.
Whatever you decide, hope you have a great trip out here.
Thom02099 wrote:
OK, with 2 weeks in July, and preference for RV parks, you really don't have a lot of time, if that 2 weeks includes driving to Colorado. My suggestion would be to go with just one area that you mentioned. You will get a lot of suggestions for other locations/destinations, but I'm going to respond based on what you specifically posted originally.
One option would be to focus on southwest Colorado -- Mesa Verde Durango/Silverton and perhaps the Great Sand Dunes. At Mesa Verde, Morefield CG inside the park has some FHU sites. This is a great location. I was just there in October, FHU site, and they are really quite nice. They are NOT jammed in like a parking lot, there's space between sites. There's a gift shop/fuel/showers there as well. Plan on at least 2 days/3 nights minimum there. You will also need to get reservations for the more popular cliff dwelling sites inside the park. You can get them on line or at the park, but you have to be early on the day you want them, or late in the day the day before, before the office closes. There is a LOT to see in Mesa Verde and there's a lot of driving involved, as the park is quite spread out.
Durango area. There's a lot to choose from in the way of RV Parks. Lightner Creek, United Campground, and Alpen Rose are all highly recommended by folks on here who've stayed there. Again in October, I was at United Campground and it was very nice, though the sites are close together. A major plus is that the Durango and Silverton train goes right THROUGH the park! You can sit at your rig and watch as it goes by or get up close and personal for great photo ops. The train ride itself is a must, and that's an all day affair. Lots of folks recommend taking the train up and taking the bus back for return. I've always done the train up and back, just because the scenery is incredible, and you'll be on different sides (reserved seating with open gondolas available).
Besides the train, there's a lot of activities in Durango itself. And there's the Million Dollar highway from Durango to Ouray CO that you would want to do in your TV. It's another full day of activities, and you could easily spend 3-4 days there.
Or, if you are an experienced mountain driver and not intimidated by shelf roads, drop offs and high elevations, you could move up to Ouray and stay there several days. The town itself is worth a full day and there's a lot to see and do in the area, including renting a 4x4 vehicle or ATV and doing some of the jeep trails in the area. It's a magnificent way to see the mountains up close.
If driving at high elevation and shelf roads is not something you enjoy, you could take a circuit route from Durango to Cortez (which is also worth a visit), and go up through Dolores and up and over Lizard Head Pass to Telluride, and on to Ridgway and stay at Ridgway State Park. It's near Ouray and gets great reviews. Or there's a KOA outside of Ouray that also gets great reviews, and from personal experience, would be the destination of choice for Ouray itself.
Depending on how much driving time you need to factor it, this could rapidly fill your itinerary. The Great Sand Dunes is a few hours east of Durango. A visit/stop at Pagosa Springs could be something you would enjoy as well. The Great Sand Dunes has a CG inside the park, there's a commercial RV park just outside, and there's a State Park not too far away, to choose from.
If I were in your shoes, I'd do this (or a variation) and plan on the other locations for another trip out here. Colorado is a big state and it would be time consuming driving to try to hit Colorado Springs, Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park AND Dinosaur in the same trip. You would not have a lot of time for any of these other destinations.
Whatever you decide, plan on making reservations early, in December/January for July reservations. Some places have a 180 day window. Use this as your guide - December 8th was the opening of that 180 day window for June 8. I know for a fact, since I made reservations specifically for that date in June and could not do so before December 8. Just calculate it out from that start point, to match your arrival dates.
Whatever you decide, hope you have a great trip out here.
