Forum Discussion

Charles2222's avatar
Charles2222
Explorer
Feb 02, 2015

US 287

Is it better to take us 287 from Laramie,Wy to Ft Collins,Co to avoid the grade between Laramie and Cheyenne.?I pulled that grade in 1988 and as I remember it was something like twelve miles up and thirty five down(that time I was going west)Later I think someone told me I should've taken us 287.Thank for any info.
  • I'm coming out of Yellowstone going to Denver then Oklahoma City,then on back home after some stops along the way.I traveled thru there going west some years ago,just needed to know about us 287.
  • We took it a couple of years ago heading to Yellowstone. Good road and it is shorter than staying on I80.
  • It will be mostly down hill from Laramie to Fort Collins, you will climb some till you get to the Colorado border then drop to Denver. The road has been widened some due to traffic accidents on that road into Fort Collins from Laramie. There are some large trucks on it that are cutting off some miles that need to travel from I25 to I80. JMHO
  • Itchey Feet wrote:
    It will be mostly down hill from Laramie to Fort Collins, you will climb some till you get to the Colorado border then drop to Denver. The road has been widened some due to traffic accidents on that road into Fort Collins from Laramie. There are some large trucks on it that are cutting off some miles that need to travel from I25 to I80. JMHO


    +1 on this.

    It's relatively flat in Wyoming, gradual climb to Tie Siding, where you start climbing up and over the Laramie Ridge. Once over the ridge and in to Colorado, there will be some ups and downs, but nothing significant; most of them are from the state line to the area of Red Mountain (major landmark seen on the east side of the road). As others have said, it's mostly down hill all the way, once you get past the turn off for Cherokee Park and particularly for Red Feather Lakes; short climb from the turn off to Red Feather Lakes, and then a gradual decline in to Laporte and the bypass around it, which is mostly 3 lanes. At the south end of the bypass, you'll get on 2 lanes going in to Fort Collins, but it's just a short distance where it's 2 lanes; once inside city limits it becomes 4 lane College Ave.

    LOTS of truck traffic on this route in both directions, but plenty of climb/passing lanes the entire route.

    Going from Laramie on I-80 EB to Cheyenne, there's a long steep climb outside of Laramie to the highest point on I-80 in that area, then a gradual downhill in to Cheyenne. Most of the time, there's a good tail wind! From Cheyenne SB on I-25 to Wellington/Fort Collins, it's mostly flat, gradual downhill, going from ~6000ft to ~5000ft. It's considerably further this way.
  • If you go that way, make sure you top off your tank in Laramie. Pretty much no gas stations over that entire 60-mile stretch.
  • intheburbs wrote:
    If you go that way, make sure you top off your tank in Laramie. Pretty much no gas stations over that entire 60-mile stretch.


    True Dat!

    Gas in Laramie, and I think there's a gas station in Tie Siding. Next gas is at the Forks Café where the Red Feather Lakes Rd intersects with US 287. And I think that's only when they are open, which is not 24/7. Next place is Ted's Place at CO 14/US287 where there's a convenience store that's 24/7.
  • Good info intheburbs and Thom02099,well taken and thanks for taking the time to send it along to me.