Recommended Roads from Estes Park CO to Alamosa CO

[gfortelney]

This is my wife and I first time taking our fifth wheel on a trip outside of our home state of Oklahoma. I was checking to see if anyone has traveled between Estes Park CO, to Buena Vista CO, and then to Alamosa CO. Looking for a good highway without a lot of tight curves. Looking at taking Highway 285 out of SW Denver down to Buena Vista, stay the night at Buena Vista, and make the drive down to Alamosa the next day. My tow vehicle is a GM 3500HD dually diesel, pulling a 33' fifth wheel with a single slide. Any recommendation on roads is appreciated.

Thanks
Gary

[gfortelney]

Busskipper, do you know if there is a low bridge at US-6/US-40? The Goodsam trip planner shows a low bridge of being 13', but when I go to the listing of low bridges for Colorado it does not show this. I also went to street level view to see if the bridge had a sign on it for the height, but could not find one. Thanks

Busskipper wrote:

gfortelney wrote:
This is my wife and I first time taking our fifth wheel on a trip outside of our home state of Oklahoma.

I was checking to see if anyone has traveled between

Estes Park CO,
to Buena Vista CO, and
then to Alamosa CO.

Looking for a good highway without a lot of tight curves.

Looking at taking Highway 285 out of SW Denver down to Buena Vista,

NO NO!

stay the night at Buena Vista, and

make the drive down to Alamosa the next day.

My tow vehicle is a GM 3500HD dually diesel, pulling a 33' fifth wheel with a single slide. Any recommendation on roads is appreciated.

Thanks
Gary

Out of Estes get to RT 7 to Peak to Peak Highway - Rt 72 may look a little wavy but is an Excellent Road with your rig. In Nederland it will switch to RT 119 -- supper scenic drive to I-70 - now west on I-70 to RT 91 exit 195? to Leadville, more beautiful easy driving. depending on your timing you can camp here or Twin Lakes or Buena Vista/Collegiates.

If you have time you could make the/a day drive in the truck to Maroon Bells on RT 92 to see a little more of the Colorado you drove so Far to Experience.

The drive to Alamosa is just south.

Look to K's for a Colorado Lunch and Quincy's for a Steak Dinner


MAP


Trust me on this drive - you will not be sorry - RT 285 will get you there but will make you do the Cities of Boulder and Denver - Not Fun, I've done Both and avoid them Like the Plague.

IMHO, you drove to Colorado to See the Mountains the Beauty not the Traffic and the Cities.

Hope this is of some help,

[gfortelney]

Thanks for all the great feedback, it is all greatly appreciated.

[fanrgs]

If you really want the fewest curves possible, take newly opened US 34 from Estes Park to I-25 and Pueblo, and US 50 to Salida, then US 285 north to Buena Vista. Of course, that means you drive through the traffic of Denver, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo and probably adds 100 miles to the trip, but it gives you fewer curves.

I'm being facetious, of course, because it is impossible to see the mountains of Colorado without driving on roads with curves and grades. All of US 285 between the mountain front SW of Denver and Kenosha Pass is nothing but curves. So, yes, US 285 is your best route, just avoid it on Friday and Sunday afternoons when it is bumper-to-bumper. After Salida and the short grade over Poncha Pass, it is straight and nearly flat through the San Luis Valley all the way to Alamosa via US 285 to CO 17.

[Thom02099]

Gotta agree with the folks above, regarding the Peak to Peak, with one minor caveat...

Having recently driven CO 7 from Estes Park to Allenspark, it is in terrible condition. It's been quite neglected by CDOT. There's quite a bit of buckled pavement, pavement broken at the shoulders in places, and potholes. The worst part is from Lily Lake to the Larimer/Boulder line by Charle EaglePlume's Art Gallery. A bit better in Boulder County up to Meeker Park and Allenspark. You'll appreciate CO 72 when you turn off CO 7.

That said, I would NOT discourage taking this route. Just use extra caution and reduced speed in the areas mentioned.

Also, when coming in to Nederland, there's a roundabout that can be a bit of a challenge, only because of traffic volume coming up CO 119 from Boulder. Folks in the roundabout have the right of way, so trying to merge/right turn to CO 119 to Black Hawk can take several minutes of patience until there's a break in the traffic. In town can be a zoo on weekends.

[Busskipper]

padredw wrote:

Busskipper wrote:
Out of Estes get to RT 7 to Peak to Peak Highway - Rt 72 may look a little wavy but is an Excellent Road with your rig. In Nederland it will switch to RT 119 -- supper scenic drive to I-70 - now west on I-70 to RT 91 exit 195? to Leadville, more beautiful easy driving. depending on your timing you can camp here or Twin Lakes or Buena Vista/Collegiates.

I am 100% with Busskipper on this one. The Peak to Peak is one of my favorite drives. Just know this: there is hardly a straight or level mile on it. I do not mean that to be negative. this is always the route I take from Estes Park to Buena Vista--and I've made that route several times--my daughter lived in Buena Vista.

The way to enjoy Peak to Peak is not the be in a rush to get somewhere, but to enjoy the drive itself as your purpose.

Well said, I will just do the drive when I have the Time, then turn around and Drive Back - it is a Favorite.

[padredw]

Busskipper wrote:
Out of Estes get to RT 7 to Peak to Peak Highway - Rt 72 may look a little wavy but is an Excellent Road with your rig. In Nederland it will switch to RT 119 -- supper scenic drive to I-70 - now west on I-70 to RT 91 exit 195? to Leadville, more beautiful easy driving. depending on your timing you can camp here or Twin Lakes or Buena Vista/Collegiates.

I am 100% with Busskipper on this one. The Peak to Peak is one of my favorite drives. Just know this: there is hardly a straight or level mile on it. I do not mean that to be negative. this is always the route I take from Estes Park to Buena Vista--and I've made that route several times--my daughter lived in Buena Vista.

The way to enjoy Peak to Peak is not the be in a rush to get somewhere, but to enjoy the drive itself as your purpose.

[Busskipper]

gfortelney wrote:
This is my wife and I first time taking our fifth wheel on a trip outside of our home state of Oklahoma.

I was checking to see if anyone has traveled between

Estes Park CO,
to Buena Vista CO, and
then to Alamosa CO.

Looking for a good highway without a lot of tight curves.

Looking at taking Highway 285 out of SW Denver down to Buena Vista,

NO NO!

stay the night at Buena Vista, and

make the drive down to Alamosa the next day.

My tow vehicle is a GM 3500HD dually diesel, pulling a 33' fifth wheel with a single slide. Any recommendation on roads is appreciated.

Thanks
Gary

Out of Estes get to RT 7 to Peak to Peak Highway - Rt 72 may look a little wavy but is an Excellent Road with your rig. In Nederland it will switch to RT 119 -- supper scenic drive to I-70 - now west on I-70 to RT 91 exit 195? to Leadville, more beautiful easy driving. depending on your timing you can camp here or Twin Lakes or Buena Vista/Collegiates.

If you have time you could make the/a day drive in the truck to Maroon Bells on RT 92 to see a little more of the Colorado you drove so Far to Experience.

The drive to Alamosa is just south.

Look to K's for a Colorado Lunch and Quincy's for a Steak Dinner


MAP


Trust me on this drive - you will not be sorry - RT 285 will get you there but will make you do the Cities of Boulder and Denver - Not Fun, I've done Both and avoid them Like the Plague.

IMHO, you drove to Colorado to See the Mountains the Beauty not the Traffic and the Cities.

Hope this is of some help,

[paulj]

How tight of a curve is too tight? On most federal and state numbered roads, the tightest curves are likely to be the right angle ones on to freeway on ramps. Or a freeway cloverleaf. Or intersections in towns.

[Kavoom]

Oh that's easy and ignore Google maps for directions but definitely for street views.

Do the back way, starting on 7 south of Estes Park through Allens Park through Nederland down to 70 east to 470 skirting Denver to 285/17 straight in. Eat at Sweet Basilico in Estes Park If timing is right do the Meadow Mountain Cafe for breakfast in Allenspark. All the locals and rangers eat there. There are great NFS campgrounds along the way like Olive Ridge. The roads are good. Stay in the Mountains most of the way down. Definitely get to the Great Sand Dunes down Alamosa way.

[Dick_B]

Hurry and get a copy of Mountain Directory West which covers most of the problem roads in Colorado. Stay away from the `scenic roads' when towing.

[southernsky]

You can do a google map and zoom down on the road were it looks like your standing on the road. CO has some pretty good hwys. Take your time enjoy the views.