Colorado/Utah trip

[big_whitey]

We are leaving 9-13 for Colorado and would appreciate suggestions as to must sees/do. I realize we are leaving late in the year to embark on a 8 week trip to this part of the country but it was the best we could do due to family obligations. Specifically we would like to hit areas that get cold first and work our way back toward Utah. We have seen all the major parks in Utah but would like to see scenic areas off the beaten path. All we have seen is just a bit of RMNP in Colorado so i'm sure there is lots of other stuff to see and do in Colorado. FYI,we have a TC and will be looking to boondock exclusively when possible. Thanks.

[highplainsdrift]

Taylor Park has great ATVing and beautiful scenery. You can rent ATVs if you don't have your own.

http://www.coloradoadventurerentals.com/crested-butte-taylor-park-atv-rentals/

[big_whitey]

Thanks Busskipper for the info. It will be invaluable as we map out our itinerary . One can never have too much feedback when planning an extensive trip.

[Busskipper]

big whitey wrote:

4runnerguy wrote:

big whitey wrote:

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.

No, the aspens don't start changing until early to mid October, depending on elevation and location. I sort of misread your departure date as October 13 instead of September 13. You'll be fine with your dates. (It was 10:20 p.m. when I posted -- sort of after my normal bedtime and I was a little foggy, but it was the weekend after all!)

BTW, you can look up the name of the townsite above St. Elmo. It's not Han****. Apparently the anti swearing program they use didn't like the name. Even the admin tried to change it without any luck.

Thanks for the clarification and for owning the oversight,you have put the happy back in our departure date. Thanks again for the generous sharing of info.

I think you will surmise that Ken is the local authority in Colorado so I am never one to argue with him - But - a couple of added suggestions to your route and planning.

I would suggest that some thought be given to the route you take in Colorado to take advantage of as much of the great sights as possible. I would suggest that you start in Golden on say the 19th orr 20th Giving you time to catch Peak to Peak - maybe Trail Ridge and then Rt 6 to Idaho Springs on I-70 out to Vail/Minturn/Red Cliff taking Rt 24 to Leadville and then on Rt 82 (day trip) to Aspen Maroon Bells. The drive on 82 and 24 will likely be a little early for the full color but it will all depend on the Aspen, they are on their own Calendar. (the Collegiate Peaks will provide days of hikes and drives in the Aspen)

Now down to Buena Vista and over to Gunnison - if you have the time Back up to Crested Butte Nice day drive, interesting Ski Town. Now you will be starting to see (26-27th) the Explosion of Color and you should just be getting into the San Juan's - Follow Ken's suggestions using the locals to gain the correct routing/timing - Marble is just a Sa of Aspen - Ouray and the Hot Springs should be a Hub in your travels for a few days, giving you some warmth and a great little area to watch nature at it's best. Need to be ready to do a lot as once it starts it rarely slows down.

Depending on the weather and the temperatures you can hang around and enjoy the shear Beauty of this time of year in the Rockies or head out of Colorado either North through Grand Junction or out through Cortez into Utah.

If I were in your shoes I'd try to hang out in Colorado for as long as possible as this is just a special time to be in the Mountains. Once you get into Utah it's just different but still just a great time to be in the SouthWest.

BOL,

[RCMAN46]

I highly recommend the Royal Gorge Route Railroad in Canon City.

Take the cab ride it is worth the extra money.

[NinerBikes]

The few times I've been to Ouray, Silverton, and Durango mountain biking on portions of the Colorado trail have been the last week of Sept and the first 2 weeks of October. Aspens were in full bloom and colors, but one wind storm after a deep freeze will turn them all brown and blow them off the trees and onto the trails, where if they get wet, you may as well be riding your mountain bike on single track filled with marbles, very skittish and sketchy slippery to ride on.

Every year is different, you need a local ear to let you know when the colors are happening, and then just go, hard to plan it.

[big_whitey]

4runnerguy wrote:

big whitey wrote:

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.

No, the aspens don't start changing until early to mid October, depending on elevation and location. I sort of misread your departure date as October 13 instead of September 13. You'll be fine with your dates. (It was 10:20 p.m. when I posted -- sort of after my normal bedtime and I was a little foggy, but it was the weekend after all!)

BTW, you can look up the name of the townsite above St. Elmo. It's not Han****. Apparently the anti swearing program they use didn't like the name. Even the admin tried to change it without any luck.

Thanks for the clarification and for owning the oversight,you have put the happy back in our departure date. Thanks again for the generous sharing of info.

[profdant139]

Ken, one way to outsmart the anti-swearing program is to say that the name of the townsite is Hancorck, without the R. That is a funny program -- do they have any anti-troll software or anti-rude-curmudgeon software? That would be really useful! 😉

[4runnerguy]

big whitey wrote:

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.

No, the aspens don't start changing until early to mid October, depending on elevation and location. I sort of misread your departure date as October 13 instead of September 13. You'll be fine with your dates. (It was 10:20 p.m. when I posted -- sort of after my normal bedtime and I was a little foggy, but it was the weekend after all!)

BTW, you can look up the name of the townsite above St. Elmo. It's not Han****. Apparently the anti swearing program they use didn't like the name. Even the admin tried to change it without any luck.

[big_whitey]

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.

[big_whitey]

Wow invaluable info. Thanks all as I really appreciate your time and effort in sharing your knowledge of the area .

[profdant139]

Whitey, we were in Utah during the last two weeks of October a few years ago, and it was great -- cool, clear weather, terrific slanting light for photography, lots of great hiking. Maybe you can then use the first two weeks of November to take the southern route back to NC. On your way home, save some time in Louisiana for Cajun/Zydeco music and that wonderful food. That area in cool weather is a real treat.

[4runnerguy]

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.

[agesilaus]

Great Sand Dunes, camp in the park CG overnight to see the dunes early in the morning. Black Canyon of the Gunnison, the north side is much better than the south. There is a CG there as well. Of course there is Mesa Verde. Make tour reservations online before you get there they fill up rapidly.

We spent a week camping in Cortez. There are a lot of smaller parks in the area: Canyon of the Ancients, Hovenweep, Grand Gulch, Natural Bridges (has a CG), Goosenecks SP (has a CG), Valley of the Gods(boondocking OK) and of course the highly commercialized Monument Valley (actually in AZ). And don't missing going up or down Moki Dugway.

Escalante UT has a lot of slot canyons to explore. And there are many UT state parks. I'd do CO first since the snow may fly there first.