Travel advice for trip to Colorado.

[smcrea]

Hi,

We're traveling into Colorado in our RV using I-70 Fruita. We will be departing Colorado via Williams Arizona.

Does anyone have any recommendations on things to see and do in Colorado. We will be spending 12 days.

As we are in an RV we would like to use THREE locations as a base camp and the travel around from the base to various sites.

Our main activity in Colorado will be site seeing.

All help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Steve.

[DesertHawk]

DesertHawk hasn't said it "all", I'm sure. Lot of country in Colorado I haven't seen.

Yep, I forgot Rocky Mountain Nat'l Pk. We have never camped there, but we did a day trip to it from Loveland, CO. We drove over the Trail Ridge Road from Estes Park to Grand Lake, CO. Very neat drives. Went by the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center returned by Fall River Visitor Center route. Should be Elk Herds to see. Plenty of scenery to marvel at. http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm

Entering from the West via Grand Lake might be a neat way to see RNMP from Fruita area. *Timber Creek Campground might work as a campground on the Westside of the Park....???

Lot of touristy things to see & do in Denver. We spend a fews days at Cherry Creek State Park one trip some years ago to explore some Denver attractions.

I've never been over by Georgetown, but my daughter & her husband stopped to ride a train there as they drove from MN to CA a few years ago. They enjoyed the Train Trip.

Never been to Steamboat Springs.

We drove from the Telluride area to Ridgeway to Montrose, toward Gunnison & the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nat'l Prk (but didn't go to it) on US 50. We turned off before Gunnison on CO 149 to Creede. (Born & raised near the Rio Grande River in South Texas & still live near it in New Mexico, so wanted to see it close to it's birth area). We spend a good part of a day & a night along the Rio north of Creede. If into fishing, it might be a good place to fish. Crystal clear, sparkling water rolling along, very neat area. Campgrounds Rio Grande Nat'l Forest

Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nat'l Park might be something to see when in the Ridgeway area.

From Creede area we drove over to the Great Sand Dunes Nat'l Park. Lot of Sand for sure, neat too see. Nice little campground as well. http://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm

Seems like many people go to South Fork, but I know nothing about the area.

We did stop at Dinosaur Nat'l Mon't (north of Fruita, but not close) when we were in the Vernal area on one trip. Kind of out of the way place.

Thanks Much to Two Hands & BriRene & to Smcrea for you kind words.

Happy Travels

[Two_Hands]

DesertHawk has said it all, except for Rocky Mountain National Park, unless I missed it. No trip to Colorado is complete without a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park. Have a great trip.

[smcrea]

brirene wrote:
I have to chuckle when Deserthawk says "I'll throw out a few suggestions"! Every post is like a travel guide! OP, lots of good suggestions in that post. Read and learn.

Yes I agree.. Thanks Deserthawk, you gave a lot of useful info.. need to get on the computer and the maps this weekend and have a look at your suggestions! :B

[brirene]

I have to chuckle when Deserthawk says "I'll throw out a few suggestions"! Every post is like a travel guide! OP, lots of good suggestions in that post. Read and learn.

[Dick_B]

Easy. Do a Google search for `Colorado tourism' and read what the experts have to recommend.

[DesertHawk]

I'll toss out a few suggestions, you can pick & choose what seems good to you:

Near Fruita, Colorado Nat'l Mon't by Grand Junction..has a nice small campground (no hookup or showers very Scenic. Just south there is Siverton & Ouray to Durango drive the Million Dollar Hwy. Ridgway State Park is just down from Ouray. It would make a nice base camp.
:C Sights & Sites.

There is this Fruita Campground, James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park. We stayed at Highline Lake State Park in '86 on the way to Yellowstone. It is out in the countryside north of Fruita.

Take US 50 to Montrose from Colorado Nat'l Mon't to get to Ridgeway & Ouray.

US 550 from Montrose to Durango: Very nice drive, very steep & somewhat curvy in places after Quray. Have used it a few times. Lot of people in large RVs use it each day. The section from Silverton to Ouray is frequently called the Million Dollar Highway with Red Mountain Pass (elevation 11,018'). Beautiful country with many waterfalls & Uncompahgre Gorge. If you don't take the RV, drive it to see the country. Ouray is a neat little village as is Silverton.

Durango/Silverton Train

Telluride, to the west southwest of Ridgeway is a neat area as well. Take CO 62 to CO 145 from Ridgeway to reach Telluride. 145 will lead you to US 160 (West of Durango). Not as steep of a drive, only one pass, Lizard Head Pass at 10,222' after Telluride. Mostly down Southbound. http://www.visittelluride.com/things-to-do/camping

We camped at a San Juan Nat'l Forest CG along the Dolores River which was just off 145, South of Lizard Head Pass. Can't remember the name of it now. Camping San Juans But Clayton Campground seems to be the one, below the Pass & by the river, etc. Matterhorn Campground might be nicer. We had bikes with us & in riding along a forest road to the east of the Pass, we found Trout Lake & road by it as well. We were able to drive our van on the roads as well.

Using US 160 W from Durango area would take you to Mesa Verde & on to Cortez. South of Cortez US 491 is Shiprock, NM.

US 160 E from Durango Area would take you to Alamosa (after crossing Wolf Creek Pass). At Alamosa take US 285 S to Antonito. The Cumbres Toltec Steam Train at Antonito is a neat one. Heron Lake State Park, Chama, Train Photos

Or bypass Wolf Creek Pass at Pagosa Springs, take US 84 to Chama, NM.

Trains go from Antonito & from Chama. Last year we did a 1/2 way trip from Chama. Years ago we did a full trip from Antonito. Price of the ticket includes a very large lunch at the halfway point.

South of Chama (which is just south of Colorado) using US 84 or South of Antonito using US 285 S, you can reach Santa Fe & I-25. I-25 S with take you to ABQ & I-40 W will take you to Williams, AZ.

Santa Fe has a lot of neat things to see & do. Santa Fe & Bandelier Nat'l Mon't -A Trip Report last summer.

More on the Santa Fe Area Expanded & ABQ.

More on the Sante Fe Area Plus. And Campgrounds in Santa Fe.

Flagstaff - Gallup - Grants- Albuquerque - Santa Fe - Plus

Or take US 64 W out of Chama to Shiprock & on into AZ...to US 160 to US 89 down to Flagstaff area (could bypass Flag by touring Grand Canyon) then to Williams.

Navajo National Monument is located at the end of State Highway 564 off of US Highway 160. We have not been to this one, but sounds very interesting. Two campgrounds, one open all year, somewhat isolated but no fees are charged.

Canyon de Chelly by Chinle is off 160, south on 191. http://www.nps.gov/cach/index.htm

:C Using US 50 from Montrose to Cañon City will take you over to the Colorado Springs Area, a lot of things to see & do there. Over on the East Slope of the Rockies.

Take a Left off US 50 before Cañon City toward Leadville (US 285 then US 24). In '97, going from Aspen to Leadville, and camping by Twin Lakes at a forest service campground. A very nice campground, beautiful Lakes, nice canoeing on them.

Twin Lakes Campgrounds: Dexter ** Lake View ** Parry Peak ** Twin Peaks ** White Star
http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/rockymtn/si.htm
I believe we stayed at White Star:
GENERAL COMMENTS:
The elevation is 9,200 ft.

The campground, one of five in the Twin Lakes Recreation Area, is
composed of three loops - Valley, Ridge and Sage. The Sage Loop
is very open with little to no shade, long level parking aprons
and closest to the Twin Lakes Reservoir. Ridge Loop is above the
reservoir among mature Ponderosa pine. Some sites have a view of
the reservoir with shorter parking aprons. The Valley Loop is a
fragrant combination of sage understory and Ponderosa overstory
with some very long parking aprons and no wheelchair friendly
vault. Twin Lakes, CO is on the National Register of Historic
Places. It is an interesting day trip and a good place for the
cook's night out. Firewood is available for a fee.

This is bear country; practice safe food storage techniques.

Follow CO 82 from Twin Lakes area to Independence Pass, a very neat & scenic area. This will take you to Aspen as well. Not easy to get an RV by one section of the road, one lane with a boulder blocking the way. But we got our C-Class MH by towing a Geo Metro. Didn't loose the mirror either. A few were on the ground there however.