grnmtn

I'm looking for where in CO to spend May 6-9. I'll be in Denver for business prior to May 6, then want to spend 3 days seeing CO in spring. I'll have a car. I know it'll be mud season, but I'd really like to get in some light hiking. Maybe stay in a cabin? It'll be my first trip to CO but I'm from VT so I understand the limits of mud season. Appreciate any suggestions.

Gretchen

How about a day of fly fishing!! The water might be a bit too fast, actually, however. BUT maybe the thaw won't be in full effect.

tomfuller

Get yourself a hand held GPS and learn to be a geocacher.
This is a sport that you can enjoy in any state of the USA and even many foreign countries.
I've been geocaching for 8 years now.

Bitter

Sorry no one has answered your question. There are a lot of nice hikes in Summit County, and many can be found online. I just don't know how the mud season affects each.

http://www.summitcountyexplorer.com/...kingtrails.htm

For cabins, I'm not familiar with any specific opportunities in Summit County, but I believe there plenty of rentals available by owner.

Elsewhere, I think Ymca Estes park is known for its cabins but I have no current info. I think there is a recent thread discussing the same.

fmpden

Don't worry abut mud. Worry about snow. The mountains were hit again this weekend with snow. We have the heaviest snow pack in 26 years which means we will still have a lot of snow at low elevations next week. Any remote cabin would probably have accessibility problems at this time. You might try the Blue River area south of Breckenridge on VRBO. It is a heavily wooded area but with paved roads.

Tabernash2

Maybe you should stay at a lower altitude, for the hiking. Boulder would be a possibility. Check out cabins available at Chautauqua Park. I really don't know if they are open for the season yet, though.

Tabernash2

I checked on Chautauqua. The only night available is May 6, checking out May 7. About $180 for a one-bedroom cabin. Can't beat that, except for the availability. It is a very cool place. Hiking right outside your cabin door.

http://www.chautauqua.com/reservations.html

Tabernash2

I may have read your dates incorrectly.

If you're interested, Chautauqua has availability for the nights of May 4, 5, & 6. The less-expensive efficiency cabin is available, too.

This is just one of our special places, which is why I'm recommending it. The food at their dining hall is wonderful, especially eating a meal on their porch at sunset.

grnmtn

I appreciate all these ideas. Thanks for taking the time. Definitely seems like the prolonged winter will restrict me to lower elevations. Think right now I may wait until I'm in Denver and see where things stand at that point. Thanks again.

wtm003

If you need to stay at lower elevations, consider Roxborough State Park SW of Denver for a short hike. I like the Carpenter Peak trail.

http://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/Roxborough

After your hike you could get lunch at the nearby Arrowhead Golf Club Bar & Grill. The food isn't anything special - burgers, sandwiches, etc. - but the the view overlooking the golf course and red rock is beautiful.

www.arrowheadcolorado.com/-home

Chautauqua Park, mentioned above, has good hiking. Check trail conditions, though, as one of my favorites, Royal Arch, may be closed due to flooding last fall.

https://bouldercolorado.gov/parks-rec/chautauqua-park

starrs

If you are interested in driving, I'd head south to Alamosa and visit Great Sand Dunes National Park and then over to Durango and visit Mesa Verde NP. It's a lot of driving but IMO there's no better place for a road trip than Colorado.

Tabernash2

But the OP only has 3 days.

starrs

May 6 - 9 is four days.
It's a lot of driving but you'd get to see a lot of the state and some great sights.

It would be a road trip. What can I say? I love them.

If he started early on the 6th, he have about 6 hours of driving plus time to see Great Sands. He could spend the night in Alamosa if he got a late start or go on to Durango if he got an early start.

He could hang out in and around Durango for the 7th and 8th and then return to Denver on the 9th - reversing his route or continuing on to Grand Junction and over to Denver.

The drive from Durango through Ouray (Little Switzerland) is one of the prettiest drives I know.

Again, "It's a lot of driving but IMO there's no better place for a road trip than Colorado".

Tabernash2

I agree, to a degree. The OP says 3 days, and he wants to hike. That's too much driving, IMO.

Anyway, as a resident, I wish more tourists would create itineraries that include less driving, for the good of the state (i.e. pollution and traffic issues).

wtm003

I think the Great Sand Dunes is a fun and unique stop especially if Medano Creek is flowing.

www.nps.gov/grsa/medano-creek.htm

At this time of the year, whatever the OP ends up doing is really going to be weather dependent, so having several options and being able to "wing it" is the best plan.

starrs

Tab, I'd send him up to Estes Park and RMNP if it were optimum time to be hiking there.

I didn't post on this thread for a while until folks cautioned him about the snow at higher elevations.

I used to go to Durango in the winter - driving in from Santa Fe and the high desert is lovely and more accessible when there's snow on the trails at higher elevations.

Re road trips - personal preferences. Not going to get into a pro-con discussion of car vs. plane, Subaru vs. Suburban, etc. I think overall, Colorado is happy for the tourism and cars are the way to get there - at least after one gets off the plane.

He may prefer to plant himself in one location for several days and hates road trips too. But he can fit in plenty of hiking in two days in the Durango area, plus get to see two of my favorite national parks. He can also stop along the way for short hikes. Just tossing out ideas here.

fmpden

Winter is not going away in the mountains. I-70 was closed for awhile today because of snow and accidents.

With three days, this time of year, Durango is way too far to go. This one you are going to have to play by ear.

Tabernash2

You may have already planned your stay, since today is the 6th. But, just in case, I wanted to mention that Devil's Thumb Ranch is having special prices in May that you might want to check out. It's a wonderful place.

https://www.devilsthumbranch.com/

The special is called Stay & Play, good till May 22.