Colorado/Utah trip

4runnerguy wrote:
If you make a beeline straight here, you might still be able to catch the aspen changing.

First I would hit up the Durango/Silverton/Ouray/Telluride area in SW Colorado. All pretty high elevation but gorgeous scenery (best in the state IMHO). Don't miss the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge RR. Don't miss Mesa Verde NP. Take







at least one guided tour if you can. Visit the Anasazi Heritage Center near Delores to get info on other Native American sites in this area. Hovenweep NM is an often overlooked, out of the way park with interesting ruins, especially the main section.

With your TC, try some of the boondocking around Silverton. South Mineral Creek has several areas. Heading up toward Animas Forks (do visit this ghost town), the ghost town of Eureka used to be free but now costs $10/night until Oct. 1 when it's free again. It will be getting cold at night by the time you arrive. You could encounter freezing temps at night. If you're looking for a place to clean up and warm up one afternoon, try the Ouray Hot Springs Pool. Great soaking with amazing views. They are closed for a few days mid-October for their annual cleaning, so check ahead.

As you head north of Ouray, check out Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP. No boondcoking in the park, but the CG is worth a night or two. Very dark up there -- great stars.

It is worth visiting the area around Aspen, Marble, and Redstone, even if it's just a day trip. Get up to Maroon Lake. You'll recognize it as the view is on many scenic calendars.

Lots of boondocking up on Grand Mesa and the mosquitoes will all be gone by then. Lots of lakes all over up there.

The whole upper Arkansas River Valley from Leadville down to Salida has lots of exploration opportunities. Some good boondocking locations above Cottonwood Lake west of Buena Vista. Most of the good sites are in the first couple of miles above the Cottonwood Lake CG. Beyond that, the road gets steeper and there are few places to pull off. Also some boondocking locations up the Silver Creek Lakes Road above the Marshall Pass road. Keep in the bottom of the valley rather than following the old Marshall Pass Railroad grade. Easier sites to camp in are before you reach Silver Lakes. There are sites above that but the road is a little rougher. In this area, there are lots of roads into the mountains. Do take the Chalk Creek road west out of Nathrop to St. Elmo (yet another ghost town). You can continue on up the old railroad grade to the site of Han**** before you'll want to turn around. If the weather is nice and you're so inclined, the hiking trail to the east portal of the now collapsed Alpine Tunnel is easy and has amazing views.

While the high peaks west of the Arkansas Valley usually get snow sometime in October, the valley itself is on the dry side of the range and stays quite pleasant through much of October.

agesilaus noted the CG in Natural Bridges NM. The sites are mostly too small for any trailers, but with your TC, you can fit in most of them.

If you haven't been in the Vernal area, head up that way and check out Dinosaur NM and the Utah Field House in town. Head north up to Flaming Gorge. Variety of boondocking possibilities up there, but like the mountains of CO, beware of early snows.

You may have visited the Island in the Sky portion of Canyonlands NP, but head south of Moab and turn west to the Needles District. Some limited boondocking on the BLM lands outside of the park, but the CG itself is a pretty magical place to camp. Can still be busy in October, so arrive early in the day if possible.

These are just a few of our favorite, out-of-the-way places we like to go.

Are you saying the Aspens are changing now? If so the trees will be bare by the time we get there in mid September. Will the higher elevations in Colorado be underwhelming if leafless? If so we may need to adjust our itinerary a bit.