US Route 36 across Kansas & US Route 34 Colorado

[Nvr_lost]

Has anyone traveled these routes from St Joe, Missouri to Loveland, CO? I am in trip planning mode to Boyd Lake State Park, CO and RMNP. and was wondering what this road is like rather than traveling I-70. Is it 2 lane? It is heavily traveled by trucks? I guess it is as flat as can be in the mid west, but is it in anyway scenic? Plenty of gas stations? Points of interest? Any comments on the state park are welcomed. Thanks for your help

[trailertraveler]

We enjoyed our trip on US-36 from Hannibal West. There is a considerable amount of four lane and the only one lane each way limited access highway I have ever encountered. A number of the towns have parks that allow camping. some have hookups. This website may help you plan your adventure on US-36.

[Thom02099]

Nvr*lost wrote:
Thank you for your comments and suggestions, especially Busskipper. This is not my first trip to RMNP, but I have never been to Boyd Lake. I saw it on an RV bloggers post in the past and it looked to be a really nice for a couple of days. When you ask?, probably mid June, maybe Trail Ridge Road will be open, but if it is not, that's okay.

Mid-June should be good for Trail Ridge. Last year, it officially opened the weekend after Memorial Day. I was up there that weekend and it was open during the day, but closed at night due to re-freezing of melt off. Previous years, it's almost always open Memorial Day weekend.

[Nvr_lost]

Thank you for your comments and suggestions, especially Busskipper. This is not my first trip to RMNP, but I have never been to Boyd Lake. I saw it on an RV bloggers post in the past and it looked to be a really nice for a couple of days. When you ask?, probably mid June, maybe Trail Ridge Road will be open, but if it is not, that's okay.

[Nvr_lost]

4runnerguy wrote:
As an aside, I wouldn't use Boyd Lake SP as a base to explore RMNP. Just too far every day.

I don't plan to.

[brooks379]

Flat, IMO pretty, little traffic in most areas, plenty of fuel stops.......a breath of fresh air.....away from the high speed interstate and all the aggressive drivers.

[Thom02099]

Nvr*lost wrote:
Has anyone traveled these routes from St Joe, Missouri to Loveland, CO? I am in trip planning mode to Boyd Lake State Park, CO and RMNP. and was wondering what this road is like rather than traveling I-70. Is it 2 lane? It is heavily traveled by trucks? I guess it is as flat as can be in the mid west, but is it in anyway scenic? Plenty of gas stations? Points of interest? Any comments on the state park are welcomed. Thanks for your help

You don't indicate WHEN. Boyd Lake is very popular, and if you don't already have reservations there, the window for September and October is opening soon or has opened. You likely won't be able to find anything available from now through August (it's open all year).

Also the "when" will affect how you get up to RMNP. US 34 through the Big Thompson Canyon west of Loveland is currently closed for flood reconstruction and will be until Memorial Day weekend. I get weekly alerts on the construction, and they are running on schedule. If you're going prior to Memorial Day, you'll need to take US 36 from Lyons to Estes Park.

[Busskipper]

Nvr*lost wrote:

Has anyone traveled these routes from St Joe, Missouri to Loveland, CO?

I am in trip planning mode to Boyd Lake State Park, CO and RMNP. and

was wondering what this road is like rather than traveling I-70.

Is it 2 lane? It is heavily traveled by trucks?

I guess it is as flat as can be in the mid west, but

is it in anyway scenic? Plenty of gas stations?

Points of interest?

Any comments on the state park are welcomed.

Thanks for your help

We have driven this route often - as we start in Annapolis, MD we will head to Champaign, IL then to Hannibal MO - picking RT 36 up there as a 4 lane, easy drive. less traffic, more scenic,fewer trucks, great RV drive to Colorado. The only part of the road that might be a question is the last little bit in Colorado - not bad , just not as smooth a back road, as the rest of the highway.

Will just Suggest as 4runner does that you are a long way from RMNP- Look at this option in Lyons - Little closer, not too close and a fun little town with some beautiful drives.

Much Better than I-70 - JMHO.

2-4 lane but a good road, making for a pleasant trip.

More to see can average 60 mph as you drive - go through towns - gas/diesel never an issue - if you search you can find things to see and do , but for us it is the more enjoyable way to get to Colorado and drive through the fly over states.

On the drive out we have stayed in Town Parks, Commercial Parks, Wal*Mart's, Reservoirs, - many options as you travel.

IMHO the route is just easier/more enjoyable, than the option of I-70 - as it is a straight line and about 60 miles shorter, we generally arrive with the same amount of driving time either way.

Just another option close to the I-25/ Longmont area for a State Park.

Hope this helps with you planning, Best of Luck,

[schlep1967]

I traveled it on a motorcycle. Marysville is one of the towns that has free "RV campsites" in the town park. As you come into town you will make a left on 10th st (US 77) to get to the park. This is not a campground. There are electric hook-ups. You can get a pretty good look at it in google maps/streetview. If you have any security worries the Marysville Police station is only half a block away.

[4runnerguy]

As an aside, I wouldn't use Boyd Lake SP as a base to explore RMNP. Just too far every day.

[TexasShadow]

Many Kansas small towns have city parks you can overnight in. some have water and maybe a dump...not all. some are just basic parking spots, others are a bit nicer.

[fanrgs]

Yes, we towed our 5th wheel over that route on the way home from the UP of Michigan in the fall of 2015. It is a good, paved, two-lane US highway that goes through quite a few small towns, but no big cities, does not have much truck traffic, and crosses lots of rolling hills in western Kansas. It is farming country all the way from St. Jo to the foothills of the Rockies. If you want something different than 75 MPH Interstate highway, it is a good choice.

We got RV parks for nights in Hannibal and St. Jo, MO and in Norton, KS. We originally planned to stay at Prairie Dog SP outside Norton, but ended up staying in town due to the late hour and cost. The private "RV park" we stayed in was a vacant lot with FHUs across the main street/highway from the high school football stadium. So we watched a JV football game from our sofa after a big dinner at the restaurant across the side street from our site.

We were back home the night after Norton, so did not need to stay at any Colorado State Parks. But we have a Colorado State Parks Pass and have stayed at many of them on the Eastern Slope--Jackson Lake, Golden Gate Canyon, Chatfield, Cheyenne Mountain, Pueblo Lake, Lathrop, Trinidad Lake, John Martin Lake, etc. They all have at least one campground with hookups, most have lakes and are therefore very popular in summer, many are tree-shaded, and most have great mountain views.

Just a suggestion, but alternatives to the very popular Boyd Lake SP abound and are also very good. These include include St. Vrain State Park, two Larimer County campgrounds with hookups--Carter Lake near Loveland and Horsetooth Reservoir near Ft. Collins, and USFS campgrounds (no hookups) along US 34, US 36, and CO 72 (part of the Peak-to-Peak Highway) in the mountains.

And, just FYI, Rocky Mountain is a very large national park, not a state park. Trail Ridge Road, with its 12,000-ft, elevation, sometimes doesn't make its scheduled Memorial Day opening. But, with the lack of snow this spring, it very likely will this year. HAve a great trip!