What must we do in Colorado?

[chompchomp]

The mountains are calling and we must go. Last summer, our trip to Yosemite and Oregon was beautifully interrupted by the birth of our first grandson. We're definitely leaving Florida and heading West this summer with our focus on Colorado.

We have done Durango, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Mesa Verde, Littleton, Red Rocks, Ouray, Ridgway into Telluride, Silverton, Grand Lake, and Vail and loved all of it.

This summer, I can see us revisiting Ouray and Last Dollar Road into Telluride just to share that with my son-in-law. We're also both fishing fanatics, so that will be a priority. We live an hour from Disney and five minutes from the World's Most Famous Beach, so we don't like crowds. That said, though I know Estes Park will probably be crowded in July (we stayed on the West side for that reason last time out), we really want to add the East side of RMNP and Crested Butte and any other scenic byways you might recommend. A friend just posted pictures of Loveland Pass, which looks appealing as well.

I'd love any input from you experts (4Runnerguy Ken I hope you're listening)out there not only on destinations, but scenic routes to connect them as well. We'll have our Jeep and my daughter's 4x4 truck, kayaks, bikes and hiking boots. Thanks so much for any advice you can share with us.

[profdant139]

I'm a little late to the dance -- just got back from two weeks in Utah -- but I hope these blog posts are of some help. The posts include a lot of detail about the various hikes we took in each area. Let us know if you have questions!

Crested Butte

Silverton

RMNP

Maroon

Ouray

Cimarron River

[4runnerguy]

rexlion wrote:
About 3 years ago I drove Road 295 to the trailhead and rode (or should I say 'abused'?) my Trek Pure Sport (a crank-forward comfort bike) up that Alpine Tunnel trail. Yeow, I can't believe I did that! With all the tree roots across the trail, plus rocks and puddles, I still wonder how I didn't bend a rim or two. But it certainly was fun coasting down instead of walking. Beautiful views along there, too. Definitely worth the visit. But I should have had a proper mountain bike.

The coast down the dirt road is really more fun yet. And when one gets heading down that grade, it may be at about the same speed as the trains did it 125 years ago - but without all the cinders from the engine. Interesting to imagine.

[2g_s]

If going to Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Park check out their website. They will have a new entrance reservation this year:

https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/time-entry-permit-system.htm

Check out Pagosa Springs and enjoy the immaculate concrete hot spring pools of varying temperatures. They overlook the small town and the river. We always make it a point to spend 3-4 hours there. Pack a cooler and relax.

Fishing: The biggest awesome trout will be at Navajo State Park, Cottonwood campground just over the border in New Mexico - from Durango. The river below the dam is beautiful. Guides are available near the campground.

[LowRyter]

Lwiddis wrote:
“Crowded” in Estes Park in July is an understatement IMO. Try to make reservations.

Go to the south end of the park. There are several campgrounds at the south entrance and Grand Lake is a great destination. Great views and not so crowded.

[rexlion]

4runnerguy wrote:
2. Upper Arkansas River Valley Leadville/Buena Vista/Salida

...Out of Nathrop, take the road up Chalk Creek to St. Elmo, a well preserved ghost town. We'll park there and ride our bikes up to Hancock along the old railroad grade (dirt). From there, we'll take the trail out about 3 miles to the east portal of the Alpine Tunnel (collapsed). If you don't mountain bike, drive up to the trail head and hike out to the tunnel. Several side roads to explore with 4x4 off this road. At Romley, turn left and go up past some old mining ruins...

About 3 years ago I drove Road 295 to the trailhead and rode (or should I say 'abused'?) my Trek Pure Sport (a crank-forward comfort bike) up that Alpine Tunnel trail. Yeow, I can't believe I did that! With all the tree roots across the trail, plus rocks and puddles, I still wonder how I didn't bend a rim or two. But it certainly was fun coasting down instead of walking. Beautiful views along there, too. Definitely worth the visit. But I should have had a proper mountain bike.

[chompchomp]

No matter how many times I post on RV.net, I'm always blown away by the knowledge, passion, and attention to detail of those who reply. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise-- folivier for the road closure warning, Thom 02099 for the detailed, painful and personal analysis of the wildfire damage, and the rest of you guys for your suggestions whether it be Jeep trails, fishing spots or campgrounds. 4Runner, as always, you're advice is on point and invaluable. I sent you a PM with a link to a rough draft of our route. If you have the time, we'd be grateful for your opinion. Thanks again everyone!

[bigred1cav]

sand dunes, mesa verde, Ouray, garden of gods, silverton, restaurant on top of mt evans

[Thom02099]

In normal times, I would recommend checking out the northern Colorado area, places like Red Feather Lakes, Poudre Canyon (CO 14) from Fort Collins to North Park/Walden area, then exploring the North Park area for it's isolated beauty. But these are not normal times.

Why? H E R E Colorado Fires is a map that shows the 2 biggest fires ever in Colorado, that finally came to an end last year with continuous snowfall. The Cameron Peak Fire burned a lot of territory in the area between Red Feather and the Poudre Canyon, particularly from Rustic up to Cameron Pass, as well as a lot of area south of the Poudre Canyon. Miraculously, only 1 campground (Jack's Gulch) was damaged by the fire.

The East Troublesome Fire initially was a huge fire in the Grand Lake/Granby area, but it JUMPED the Continental Divide and destroyed a lot of area in RMNP east of the Divide and west of Estes Park. The maps show that it was dangerously close to Estes Park and areas in Rocky, around Moraine Park and the Fern Lake/Cub Lake trails area was impacted. There could have been some damage to the D loop of the Moraine Park CG.

With the now on-going spring snowmelt, we will have a clearer picture of what these areas look like, particularly in the Poudre Canyon. I'd like to be optimistic about the recovery for both of these fire areas, recognising that it will take a long time for recovery. Now, mudslides and flooding become an issue.

Avoidance of these areas for any camping would probably be warranted, for safety reasons, at least for now. The areas impacted by the fires are some some of my favourites, for the beauty and solitude and the "real" Colorado experience. Huge forests just waiting to be hiked and explored. BUT...safety considerations must prevail. At least until we have a clearer picture of the extent of devastation.

[GizmosMom]

We love the Grand Mesa. National Forest campgrounds with water in central locations. No dump station, which is a bummer.
Quiet, many, many lakes to fish. It is beautiful!

[folivier]

Just be aware of the closures on Hwy. 50 between Montrose and Gunnison.
https://www.us50info.com/impacts

[southernsky]

Lake City is a nice place for Jeep rides. Do the Alpine Loop

[4runnerguy]

2. Upper Arkansas River Valley Leadville/Buena Vista/Salida

This is an area we go to every year.

Leadville is an old mining town with lots of mining ruins all around the town. The ~14 mile paved Mineral Belt Trail encircles the town and has plaques along the way describing what you are looking at, often with historic pictures for comparison. It's at 10,000' so you'll notice the elevation, but it's paved and not by a road. We combine it with doing some loops on the Timberline Mountain Bike Trails on the south side of Leadville with access off the Mineral Belt Trail. Generally easy trails through the woods with lots of short loops. Good views and we've even seen a moose in there.

West of Leadville is Turquoise Lake. Fish there or head out in your kayaks. Above the lake is the Hagerman Pass road, which is an old railroad grade that eventually climbed to go through the mountains on a now closed tunnel. Interesting trip though.

South of Leadville you'll pass the turnoff to Highway 82 and Independence Pass mentioned above.

Near Buena Vista, check out mountain biking on the Midland Trail. An old railroad grade although definitely single track where the trestles have been removed. We ride up from the end of town (the first mile is the hardest) then up the Midland Trail to Bacon Bits, take it to Sausage Link and return to the Midland that way. Then it's off to find breakfast after hearing those names!

Out of Nathrop, take the road up Chalk Creek to St. Elmo, a well preserved ghost town. We'll park there and ride our bikes up to Hancock along the old railroad grade (dirt). From there, we'll take the trail out about 3 miles to the east portal of the Alpine Tunnel (collapsed). If you don't mountain bike, drive up to the trail head and hike out to the tunnel. Several side roads to explore with 4x4 off this road. At Romley, turn left and go up past some old mining ruins.

Lots of great mountain biking around Salida (S Mountain and Methodist Mountain). Adventurous? Shuttle to the top of Monarch Pass and take the Monarch Crest trail down to the Rainbow trail and then fly down the highway back to Poncha Springs. You'll be above timberline for quite a while with great views. But at 35 miles, bring lots of food and water and prepare for 4-5 hours in the saddle. World famous ride.

Each of these towns has it's own personality. Leadville is old mining town at high elevation. Salida is now a really interesting place. Lots of great restaurants and art galleries featuring local artists. Concerts in the park by the river.

Speaking of rivers, the Arkansas River has an amazing assortment of sections of varying difficulty. One could spend a number of days kayaking there. Heading down through the Royal Gorge is challenging but very scenic.

There are just so many places to fish, whether it's in some of the lakes and reservoirs, to high mountain streams. The area around Leadville itself isn't so good because of the mine tailings that have resulted in some pretty sterile creeks and streams.

Hiking? How about climbing Mt. Elbert, highest in Colorado. Not at all technical, but obviously takes a while. Spend a week in Colorado getting used to the altitude before attempting. We like the route out of Halfmoon Creek SW of Leadville. Avoid weekends to avoid crowds (hard to find trailhead parking). A number of other 14,000' peaks along the range are also technically easy if you start to like the view from the top.

Either one of these suggestions can easily use up a week or two or three of vacation. LMK if you want more info on either one.

I don't know what your camping preferences are, but reservations have filled up fast in the last week or two. Skiing is about over and people are now focused on camping season.

[4runnerguy]

A couple of ideas but I'll break it into two posts so it doesn't get too long.

1. Aspen/Marble/Glenwood Springs.

A trip to Maroon Bells is worth the time. You've probably seen it on a calendar at some point. Access is by shuttle bus. Or do like we do and ride your bikes up there (that's free to do and that's a price we like to hear). Almost all the traffic is the shuttle buses and they know to watch for bikes. We park at the (free) Tiehack Lift parking, take the foot/bicycle bridge across the gorge and ride up from there. In July the flowers along the road are many, so we use the excuse we are taking flower pictures when we stop for a rest!

There's also a paved bike trail all the way from Glenwood Springs to Aspen. It's on an old railroad grade so it's not too steep. We'll park at Old Snowmass and ride into Aspen from there. Aspen is so much easier to explore on bike rather than trying to drive the busy roads. Lots of interesting historic houses and buildings.

The drive up CO 133 along the Crystal River to Marble is one of the most scenic in the state. On the way up from Carbondale, keep an eye out for the Redstone Campground sign and turn left there, following that road all the way through Redstone. It will join back up with the highway on the other side of town. Don't miss Hayes Creek Falls on your right. Turn left at the sign for Marble and follow that into town. Yes, there's big chunks of Marble all around town. The road onward from there is 4x4, although I've eased our RAV4 through there in the past. (No problem for your jeep, but if your daughter's 4x4 PU is full sized, it will be a challenge. If it has dual rears, forget it.) You'll go by the Crystal Mill (another calendar shot) just before the "town". Beyond Crystal, you can try you hand at Lead King Basin (gorgeous flowers, but again a real 4x4 road) or head up Schofield Pass if you're really daring. That road takes you all the way to Crested Butte.

In the Aspen/Glenwood Springs area there is lots of fishing, whether high mountain lakes or the Gold Medal waters on the Roaring Fork or Frying Pan Rivers.

Kayak the Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon or ride your bike on the bike trail there. So much easier to see things when not flying by on the interstate (although last year's fire did a number on some areas).

Hikes? Try American Lake or Cathedral Lake up Castle Creek above Aspen. There are also a variety of trails off Independence Pass (no trailers or RV's on that road). Lost Man or Independence Lake trailheads get busy on weekends for a reason.

[Thunder_Mountai]

You are probably too late for Estes Park in July. You will also have to make reservations for entering RMNP. Don't waste your time.