I-70 from Utah to Denver.

[striper1851]

Hi. Going to Denver towing the Jeep. How is going through the Rocky's on I-70? Thank you.

[striper1851]

Thanks to everyone for your assistance.

[JimFromJersey]

In July of 2012 we did the I-70 route from north of Moab all the way to St. Louis. The climb up from Vail, and then the next one up to Eisenhower was slow, but hell, if our creaky old 88 Bounder can do it at the sparkling speed of 28 mph, then anyone can (weather permitting, of course...) The downslope past Idaho Springs and on into Denver was no biggie at all, even in the rain we hit.

Once past Denver, though, it's deadly boring for the next, oh, say, 800 miles or so... 🙂

[Busskipper]

When we go we always will slide off to Moab and run along Rt 128 out of Moab runs right along the Colorado River and is in My Top Five drive in the US.

This time of year the river should be running pretty well with the snow melt.

Rt 128 thread.

Couple of pictures in this old thread to give you the feel.

BOL,

[Thom02099]

1mtnman wrote:
If you travel is within the next three days you are not going to like the weather in the High Country. The forecast is for very high winds,snow and poor driving conditions. The by word is never travel in the High Country without first checking the weather. It is presently snowing heavily along I 70 at this time.

+1! Down here in the flats north of Denver, it's high winds and threatening snow/rain today. Much worse in the High Country.

Keep in mind that snow/rain/freezing rain can be experienced any time along I-70 well into late May/early June. Always check the forecast before going.

It's not a difficult drive under normal driving conditions, but there are some significant elevation changes. There's the climb up to Vail Pass, and the drop down in to the Frisco/Silverthorne area. Then there's that long climb to the Eisenhower/Johnson tunnels, but there's a slow lane to get in for the climb. Keep the speed and gears down, it shouldn't be a problem, other than getting behind a trucker who's going even slower than you! On the other side of the tunnels there's a drop down to Georgetown and then it's relatively flat till you get to the Idaho Springs area, where you'll do another climb up Floyd Hill (a misnomer -- it's more than a hill!). You'll also have a long and sometimes curvy drop down into the west side of the Denver metro area; when you get to the interchange with C-470, you can begin to relax!

EDIT to add: yup, taking I-80 is less of a challenge driving wise. But this time of year and into June, there can also be snowstorms and whiteout conditions on I-80 and I can tell you from experience, that is NOT fun. Again, check the forecast and make a decision based on your travel dates. Also regarding the wind in Wyoming, it's a given for travelling across I-80. But it's also frequently a tail wind when travelling EB, or from the northwest, rather than an easterly wind. If you're returning to Utah via I-80, then that's a different story!

[1mtnman]

If you travel is within the next three days you are not going to like the weather in the High Country. The forecast is for very high winds,snow and poor driving conditions. The by word is never travel in the High Country without first checking the weather. It is presently snowing heavily along I 70 at this time.

[kknowlton]

When are you going? It's still snowing some days, so be aware of the weather (whether you use I-70 or I-80). Colorado has the scenery, the altitude and the climbs & descents; Wyoming has the wind.

[crabbin_cabin]

I 80 thru' Cheyenne is windy ( usually), and,IMHO, extremely boring!
I 70 does have a couple of passes to maneuver but nothing to worry about. Literally thousands of RVers and truckers go that way every year! beautiful scenery for you to enjy!!

[mdamerell]

Hilly and pretty 🙂

Seriously, the highest point on the US Interstate system is Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 at just over 11,000 ft. Depending upon where you start in Utah I-80 east Cheyenne and I-25 south to Denver might be an easier trip.