tomcat

We are so excited to be flying from Florida to Denver for Spring Break with our 4 children ages 4,7,8,&10. We thought we'd lightly explore Denver (considering Museum of Natural History or Mint), maybe drive to Colorado Springs to see Garden of the Gods &/or Pike's Peak, (all this the arrival day and night)and then head to Snow Mountain Ranch YMCA (just north of Winter Park) for the next 5 nights. Looks like plenty of snow-playing there at YMCA but would need to downhill at Granby or Winter Park (which, of course, we've never done!). Having said all that our main reason for chosing Denver was to see Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park(our usual trips are in our camper)And the kids really want to treasure hunt (mine for gold, gems, turquoise)! Is Winter Park about 1 1/2 hour drive from Denver? Is this too much for 6 days? Please send me your advise!

emalloy

Check with the park service www.nps.gov to make sure the road through Rocky Mt. National park will be open when you go. It closes on Oct.1 and reopens in the spring sometime.

abram

It took us an hour and 45 minutes to get from DIA to Winter Park. It's about an hour west on I-70 to Hwy 40, and then the wiggle waggle up over the Berthoud Pass and down to WP.

Arriving in Denver, getting a rental car, seeing a museum, and driving to Colorado Springs for more sightseeing seems like a lot in one day.

Five days in WP seems great. Be sure to sign everyone up for ski lessons.

tomcat

Thanks! Garden of the Gods and Pike's Peak are so famous, just seemed liked a shame to be so close and not see them. Should we make sure to see that area?

LaurenKahn1

Colorado Springs is not a hop, skip and a jump from Denver. One day one, I would concenrate on just getting where you are going and save all the other stuff for another trip. If your focus is skiing, go skiing.

I hope you have warmer clothing than what you are used to in Florida.

Yes, the road through RNP could still be closed. It depends on conditions.

furledleader

On a clear day you can see Pikes Peak from many different places in the Denver metro area (I-70 & Havana St. between the airport & downtown; or my favorite - looking south from the Thornton Parkway bridge over I-25 with the skyscrapers of downtown Denver in the foreground) - you don't have to go to Colorado Springs to SEE it. Now, if by "seeing it" you mean actually driving to it's summit - well then that's a different story.

I don't think what you're suggesting is too much at all for 6 days. But if you're planning what I think you're planning on the first day....well THAT might be too much.

I agree that getting to Denver, obtaining your rental car, seeing the museum or mint, driving to Colorado Springs for the ascent of Pike's Peak or driving through Garden of the Gods, then backtrack8ing to Denver and getting to Snow Mountain Ranch all in one day is a lot to bite off.

IT CAN BE DONE, but I'm afraid that at the end of the day you'll be driving over Berthoud Pass into Winter Park exhausted and in the dark....and that would be a shame because Berthoud Pass is really one of the prettiest passes in all of Colorado. I'm still impressed every time I do it - and it's just as picturesque coming as it is going.

I'd say either skip the Denver stuff and head right down to Colorado Springs then back up, or skip Colorado Springs, do something in Denver, stop at the Argo Gold Mine in Idaho Springs (for a tour and some panning for gold and gemstones) west of Denver on I-70, then over Berthoud Pass before nightfall.

There should be plenty to do around Granby & Snow Mountain Ranch. For beginner skiing I'd suggest heading over to the Solvista ski area outside of Granby rather than Winter Park ski area. It's smaller, but cheaper (especially for a family of six) and its slopes are gentler on beginners.

Unless your spring break occurs sometime after the last week of May, I can guarantee that Trail Ridge Road (U.S. Hwy 34) through Rocky Mountain National Park will NOT be completely open. That means you will be relegated to exploring only the western side of the park, rather than the more dramatic (IMHO) eastern side. Not that the western side is shabby. It has it's scenic elements...just not as much as the eastern side. On the other hand, your chances of seeing moose are greater on the west, and there are much fewer tourists.

padams421

Too much for 6 days. Skip Colorado Springs.

joysakura

agree that colorado springs adds too much extra driving & time that's way out of the way for heading west toward winter park. you have tons of fun & cool things to do in the winter park area, & i would focus there.

also, because of the change of elevation, make sure everybody stays hydrated & rested those first two days. lots of water is especially important.

i think driving through Denver on your way to Winter Park via either of those museums is fine, just a short stop at one of the museums that's convenient as you're heading toward winter park. i'd only do one, & do a short visit, & keep drinking water so the kids don't get altitude sickness

have fun

Gretchen

NOt a chance!! ;o) Skip CO Springs as has been said, and RMNP won't be "worth" it without the road being open
If this is a first for snow, just really really enjoy that. It will be awesome for your little ones.
In Idaho Springs there is a gold mine tour that might be fun. It may not be open in March, but you can sort of look around. There's a cute museum there also.
IF you go to Denver I would do the Museum, and not the Mint. You might be able to do it on the way back--although the city would be "out of the way" coming from the mountains.

Put ALL of the kids in ski school--and you too if you are going to ski. There is no other way to do it.
There may be a tubing park there--don't know. But that would be fun. If it is there, make reservations to do it.

WhereAreWe

If your main goal is to see RMNP why not stay at the YMCA outside Estes Park instead?

RMNP has a snow play area on the east side (Hidden Valley). You'd have to skip the downhill skiing or drive down to Eldora outside of Nederland. Trail Ridge Road will be closed - absolutely no question of that. But there is still plenty to see and do on the east side in winter.

I guess I don't understand spending 5 days in Winter Park - you and your family may not enjoy skiing that much, and that's a really long to spend in that area if you find out you don't like skiing. Many people find out it's cold and the snow isn't as much fun as they thought it would be.

furledleader

tomcat,

I guess I need more info from you.

Just exactly when is your spring break? If it's in March, then you won't have a problem with skiing. If it's mid April, then SolVista and Winter Park may already be closed, or snow conditions may be deteriorated to the point of being difficult and really not worth it. If that's the case, you may want to reconsider your stay at Snow Mountain Ranch and opt instead for something on the eastern side of Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park so you can more fully enjoy your stated primary reason for the visit.

How committed are you to Snow Mountain?

Are you considering getting to Snow Mountain Ranch the night of your arrival, or are you considering exploring Denver/Colorado Springs on your arrival day and spending that arrival night somewhere in Colorado Springs or Denver before heading up to Snow Mountain the next day? Your original post is somewhat vague to me on this point.

MomInFl

Just my two cents worth having done several ski trips to Colorado from Florida with our two kids . . .
Keep in mind that you will have spent a great deal of time traveling so you will be tired and will arrive at a much higher altitude than what you all are used to. As Joysakura mentioned - HYDRATE. We always spend the first two or three days of every trip battling altitude sickness. Our main purpose is always to get in as much skiing as possbile. If skiing is important to you then, like Gretchen said, do ski school. We put our kids in the first time out and they loved it. My husband and I even took a mini-private lessons and felt they were well worth it. I don't know if you have ski experience, but if you're new to the sport then you'll get much more out of it by learning how. Also, if you're not familiar with driving in snow and/or ice, I would recommend getting through the mountain driving during daylight. You'll also want to plan your drive back to Denver carefully since many visitors to the ski resorts travel back to town on Sunday - traffic can get thick. One of our favorite destination has always been Winter Park. The tubing hill right outside of town is a blast - the kids will love it (as will the adults)! You can also try some other winter related activites like sleigh rides or snow mobiling (not sure what the age restrictions are though). Good luck planning and enjoy the snow with your family. Have fun making those snow angels!

abram

Another thought about coping with the altitude: since altitude is dehydrating, it is a good idea to skip other dehydrating things (like alcohol and caffeine) for the first couple of days.

spirobulldog

Don't be surpised if you don't enjoy skiing the first day. The kids may like it better than you do. It can be very frustrating. I think 3 or 4 days of skiing would be plenty. By the 3rd day you will be skiing much better. I would not snowboard, but ski. If you think you may come back several times, then you might consider snowboarding. Most people will tell you that it is easier to ski than board. There are 10 stages in skiing and snowbaording. You will probably get to level 2 or 3 skiing, after that it takes time to go further. Snowboard takes time to get to level 2 or 3, but after that it is easier to move up than skiing. Almost everyone enjoys tubing. It is a blast. I personally would go to RMNP in the summer not winter.

Gretchen

Second what Spirodog said. But the really good thing about lessons is that the instructor gets you to parts of the mountain that you might not see otherwise as a beginner. Plus, you truly run the risk of injury without lessons.
Do not neglect what everyone is saying about hydrating. Start drinking water on the plane (also dehydrating) and have a bottle with you all the time. Get the kids to be drinking ALL the time. And don't forget the sunscreen.

spirobulldog

Oh yeah, Lessons is the most important part. it always is funny to me the people that go and don't take lessons. That is not smart at all. We tried our daughter with both a private instructor and in a group when she was younger. She has no siblings, so not sure what to tell you about splitting them up or keeping them together. I am not sure what is best. You might be better off with a private instructor for 3-4 hours for a couple of day for your entire group. Like an instructor caters to just your family for as many hours as you wish. You will be dead tired after 3 hours in the morning. Some in your group may want to stop, while others may not. By the way, it is extremely easy to loose your kids on the mountain, just make sure your 4 year old is in sight and your other kids no where to meet at. My wife is one of these that likes to take lessons every time we go. I think once was enough for me. This may explain why I am a horrible skiier.

Gretchen

Let the ski school assign the kids. Our daughter was an instructor at Winter Park. The ages need very different schooling. They will LOVE it, and the pace will be appropriate for ages and needs.
We have friends who are ski patrol people in the East, and they took lessons EVERY time they went to Colorado. We also gave our kids ski lessons when we went, even though they could ski black diamond runs. BUT for beginners, in Colorado, you HAVE to have lessons. NO other answer.

tomcat

Thanks everyone! We are not overly commited to Snow Mountain Ranch. Our break is 3rd week of March and their "family weekend" looked fun. We arrive in Denver before lunch so we thought we should take some time then in Denver prior to heading to the YMCA, but understand the kids might do better heading straight there. That area just has so much to offer! What about Dinosaur Ridge and Red Rock? If 5 nights is too much for Snow Mountain area, should we consider splitting the week between there and Estes Park YMCA? We do want to ski, but the snow and seeing mountains was our main reason for going. Guess we'll skip Colorado Springs and will come into Denver hotel night before that very early flight back home. Thanks for all this so needed advice! Got more thoughts?

furledleader

<Our break is 3rd week of March and their "family weekend" looked fun.>

O.K. then.... I'd stick with Snow Mountain. The skiing at either Sol Vista or Winter Park should still be great and there should still be plenty of snow on the ground around Snow Mountain Ranch.

I'd stick with your original plan of 5 nights at Snow Mountain. Breaking up your stay and riding back to Denver and up to Estes Park for 2 nights seems like a pain to me - especially if you're having fun where you are anyway.

As previously mentioned, there is a great tubing hill at the town of Fraser, which is about 3 miles north of the town of Winter Park (http://www.vacationsinc.com/guide-to...s/snow-tubing/). Take U.S. Hwy 40 into the town of Fraser. There will be a stoplight at the intersection of Hwy 40 and Elk Creek Road (There will be a hotel called Pinnacle Lodge, and a supermarket called Safeway on the east side of Hwy 40 at this intersection). Turn WEST (away from Pinnacle Lodge and Safeway) onto Elk Creek Road, and you should be able to see the tubing hill just ahead on your right.

I think Dinosaur Ridge and Red Rocks are a great alternative to downtown Denver or Colorado Springs. They are close enough to each other to be only about a five mile diversion (in total) off your route west on I-70 and are both interesting and picturesque in their own right.

Following is a copy of a route description I made for 2 previous posters that I'll alter for your purposes.

Leaving Denver International Airport (DIA) and its rent-a-car lots, you will be on a six lane divided highway (that will eventually narrow to 4 lanes) called Pena Blvd (named after a former mayor of Denver, instrumental in getting the new airport to be built way out there on the prairie). You’ll start heading west (toward the mountains) at first. At some places along here on a clear day you might be able to catch a glimpse of the trifecta of front range 14ers – mountain peaks higher than 14,000 feet. They will be the 3 highest peaks on the mountains ahead and to your left. Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park (distinguished by its kind of “flat” top) will be just to the right of straight ahead at about 1 o’clock. Mount Evans (seen as a massive hulk just beyond the spires of the downtown Denver skyscrapers) will be at about 11 o’clock. And Pikes Peak (way down by Colorado Springs) will be way over to your left at about 8:30 or 9 o’clock. Don’t confuse the Rampart Range for Pikes Peak. The Rampart Range is a short series of jagged peaks between Mt. Evans and Pikes Peak. If you see the Ramparts, look further south for the big lone hulk of Pikes. If you don’t see them along here, don’t worry, you’ll get another chance later.

Pena Blvd will take a big sweeping turn to the south and then eventually intersect with I-70. Turn onto westbound I-70. As you pass over the bridge at Havana St. (exit 280), you’ll have a pretty unobstructed view of the whole front range of mountains again. Look for the 3 peaks at about the same positions if the sky is clear.

Stay on I-70 through “the mousetrap” (I-70’s intersection with I-25) and through the western suburbs. At mile marker 260 you’ll start to climb up into Mt Vernon Canyon. At exit 260, I-70 intersects with Colorado Hwy C470 (a freeway that heads down to the southwest suburbs of Denver and is shown on the interstate signs as "SH470 – Colorado Springs"). Get off I-70 here and turn onto southbound C470 (SH470). Once on southbound C470, the flanks of Green Mountain will be on your left, and the Morrison Hogback (aka Dinosaur Ridge) will be on your right. Dinosaur ridge is noted for its abundance of fossils from the Jurassic Period when the flanks of the Rockies comprised the shoreline along a great, shallow inland sea that covered the high plains. Get off C470 at the first exit (Alameda Parkway) and turn right. Shortly after turning onto Alameda, the Visitor Center for Dinosaur Ridge will be on your right.

Alameda Parkway will continue past the Visitor Center and angle its way up Dinosaur Ridge, but it is no longer open to regular vehicular traffic. A barrier now blocks traffic from ascending the ridge, and the road is open only to foot traffic (if you want to hike up the ridge), or an interpretive shuttle bus that for $3 per person (under 5 years old –free) will take people up and over the hogback. Along the way, either on foot or shuttle, the most dramatic sight is a fenced-in area about halfway up the ridge where a large track of dinosaur footprints have been exposed on the sharp incline of the hill. Unfortunately, these footprints are the most dramatic Jurassic aspects of the ridge for the lay person. There are no recognizable dinosaur skeletons half emerging from the hillside. But to a geologist who can differentiate rock from fossil, the ridge is a goldmine.

At the top of the ridge, the road is actually cut through several layers of the top strata of the hogback, and exposes how the uplifting forces that created the Rocky Mountains have dramatically angled the layers of earth here that were once flat. As you descend the other side of the ridge, Red Rocks Park will be over your left shoulder on the other hillside of the little valley you're heading down into. Just before finishing your descent down Dinosaur ridge, there will be a spot on your right where geologists have exposed part of a triceratops fossil. If you make it over the ridge to this point, take a look at the fossil and see if you can distinguish fossilized skeleton from regular rock.

To get to Red Rocks Park from the Dinosaur Ridge visitor Center where you left your car, turn left out of the parking lot, cross the bridge over the freeway, turn left onto the on-ramp to get back onto C470 and head back north toward I-70. Be mindful of the signs and follow the lanes for I-70 westbound toward Grand Junction. Once back on I-70 westbound, you’ll pass through the Morrison Hogback at mile marker 259 where you’ll again see the stratified layers of rock that the Rocky Mountain uplift has angled upward. Get off at the very next exit (exit 259) and turn left. You are now on Hogback Road (aka County Hwy 93). Follow this road south for 1.4 miles to Red Rocks Park entrance #1 (aka W. Alameda Parkway) and turn right. Follow this road for about a mile and a half to the “Top Circle” parking lot for the Amphitheatre. If this lot is full, you can park in the “Upper North” lot right next door. Be mindful of hikers, cyclists and joggers that frequent the roadways throughout the park.

Get out and wander over to the upper part of the Amphitheatre and its dramatic background of the great plains and downtown Denver to the east. During the summer, concerts are held in this picturesque venue, and sometimes on Easter morning there are sunrise services held here. When concerts aren’t being held, the public is free to wander the amphitheater and even step up onto the stage and imagine what it's like to perform here.

A new visitor’s center is located at this upper area of the amphitheater. Enter the visitor center and take the elevator or steps down to the small gift shop/information center and get yourself a map of the park. There is also a small sit-down restaurant in the visitor center (offering $11 chicken salads and $9 burgers), as well as an Interactive Hall and Hall of Fame, both of which celebrate the multitude of performing artists that have frequented the venue over the years. The gift shop here is small and offers very little in the form of souvenirs. For a much greater selection of souvenirs and a nice Colorado Visitor’s Center, get back in your car and go to the Red Rock Trading Post.

To get to the Trading Post, leave the parking lot and head back down the road for about 0.5 mile to the very first road on your right. This is Trading Post Road. Turn right onto it and go about 0.4 miles to the Trading Post parking lot.

When you're done with Red Rocks you may be hungry. If so, I'd suggest heading to the quaint little nearby town of Morrison where there are several places adequate for family dining. You can get to Morrison either by following Red Rocks Park Road (look at your map) to entrance #3 and turning left onto Hwy 74, or taking Red Rocks Road to entrance #2, and turn right onto Hogback Road (Hwy 93) and follow it south to Morrison. The Morrison Inn serves Mexican cuisine; and Tony Rigatoni’s serves Italian and pasta. To get back to I-70 from Morrison, follow the main street (Hwy 74) east to Market Street where a brown sign points to the left and announces RED ROCKS EAST ENTRANCE (about a block east of Tony Rigatoni’s). Turn left (north) onto Market Street and follow it around the backside of Morrison where it will turn into Hogback Road (Hwy 93). Follow this road north until you get to I-70.

If you're not hungry yet, then get back onto Hogback Road by following either Red Rocks Park Road to entrance #2, or Alameda Parkway back to entrance #1. Either way, once you get back to Hwy 93, turn left and take it straight north to its junction with I-70, and get back onto I-70 heading west.

The grave of Buffalo Bill Cody (with an associated museum) lay a couple of miles off I-70 at exit 256. Bill died while visiting his sister in Denver. Today, a feud still exists between the town of Cody, Wyoming and the cities of Denver/Golden, Colorado as to where the Wild West showman actually should be buried. According to an early will, Bill was to be buried in Cody (a town he himself founded in 1895); but a later will left the decision of his burial up to his wife. Some believe she was coerced/bamboozled by certain Denver influences to agree to a burial in the foothills overlooking Golden. The town of Cody was outraged and for years demanded Bill’s body be exhumed and re-buried in Wyoming. Stories have it that the feud peaked in 1948 when the American Legion branch in Cody supposedly offered a reward for the return of Buffalo Bills body. In response to rumors of clandestine groups attempting to cash in on this reward, the Denver American Legion posted a guard over the grave on Lookout Mountain until a deeper and more secure shaft could be blasted into the rock to forever protectively entomb Bill's mortal remains.

At mile marker 256 look up the ridgeline to your left (@ about 11 0’clock) and at the top you’ll see the futuristic mushroom-shaped house featured prominently by Woody Allen in his movie “Sleeper”. By mile marker 255.5 it is quite visible and recognizable.

Approaching exit 254 you’ll notice that the bridge ahead has no central support. On clear days, as you get nearer and begin to pass under it, the bridge ends up framing a breath-taking panorama of the peaks of the continental divide to the west. I'm going to suggest though that you get off at exit 254 before passing under the bridge. The reason is that there is a sizable buffalo herd that sometimes grazes in the meadows to the west at the top of this exit ramp. At the top of the exit ramp, turn right. Almost immediately you will pass by Mt. Vernon Canyon Road (the interstate frontage road) and then you should notice an area across the road on the left where you can pullover and park near the west meadow's fence line. Sometimes the herd comes right up to this fence. Other times they are further down toward the interstate pullover just west of the bridge at the end of the ON ramp you'll be using to get back onto the freeway. Other times the buffalo are no where to be found. It's a crap shoot, but if they are there, the kids will probably love it.

You'll still be able to see the mountains of the continental divide from here. For a nice picture, walk out onto the bridge over the interstate a little to get an unobstructed view. From right to left the most prominent peaks are: James Peak, Mt. Bancroft, Parry Peak (the highest), Mt Eva, Witter Peak, Mt. Flora, and Breckenridge Peak. On the other side of these mountains lies Winter Park. Again, if you walk out onto the bridge, mind the kids against the traffic.

At exit 248, the interstate will crest Floyd Hill and then almost immediately narrow down from 3 to 2 westbound lanes as it begins its drop down into the canyons of Clear Creek.

From exit 244 to exit 228, I-70 follows Clear Creek – best known as the source for the Rocky Mountain water used by the Coors Brewing Company downstream in Golden. So, the next time you open a can of Coors, you just may be drinking brew made with water that is passing by you now.

At Idaho Springs exit 241A there’s food (a McDonalds & a Subway), or take exit 240 for some sit down eats at either Beau Jo’s (for pizza), or the Buffalo Restaurant and Bar (for a buffalo burger). Between these two exits, look for the big red building of the Argo Gold Mine on the hillside to your right. If you want, you can tour the mine and mill, and at the end you can pan for gold and gemstones (http://www.historicargotours.com/)

Between Idaho Springs and exit 236 at Dumont, you'll probably notice the numerous yellow colored tailings of old mine activity covering the hillside on either side of the interstate.

Get off the interstate at exit 232 (Hwy 40 west) and go through the town of Empire (a notorious speed trap town – so watch your speed). If you're up for some ice cream or a malt, stop at the Lewis Sweet Shop in Empire. It's a small joint that will be on your left, just as you start to enter Empire. Their "thick" malts are huge, with the tops generally extending up beyond the rim 2/3 again the size of the cup itself. I'm partial to their root beer malt myself.

Heading west out of Empire, Hwy 40 will gently wind its way up the valley of the west fork of Clear Creek until it reaches the east base of Berthoud Pass. Berthoud Pass is one of the prettier passes in Colorado with some spectacular views both heading up and coming down the other side. Heading up, the view beyond the valley you are leaving will be dominated by the looming hulk of Engelmann Peak with its sharp, half-open volcano-like bowl. Approaching the top you'll notice the old chairlift of the defunct Berthoud Ski Area that used to carry skiers from the top of the pass to the top of Colorado Mines Peak.

There is ample parking at the top of Berthoud Pass for you to get out and enjoy being on the continental divide. Backcountry skiers also park here, then head down the flanks of the pass to their shuttle cars parked at one of the various switchbacks somewhere below.

After cresting the top of the pass, you'll start to head down toward Winter Park, and the mountain tops and ridges of the continental divide on your right will stretch out before you in a line heading north all the way into Rocky Mountain National Park. These mountain tops include the backside of the mountains you saw from the Buffalo Herd Overlook bridge earlier at I-70 exit 254. The most prominent peak here will be Parry Peak at 13,391 feet.

From Winter Park all the way to Granby (and even as far as Kremmling) you need to monitor your speed. You can still go a couple miles over the speed limit, but don’t go ga-ga, as the state highway patrol likes to train its newer officers in speed control along this stretch.

From Winter Park to Granby you can’t help but notice the rusty red hillsides of dead and dying Ponderosa Pine trees, decimated by an infestation of the mountain pine beetle during the drought years of 1997 – 2004. Healthy trees are usually able to fend off this beetle, but the drought weakened their defenses enough to allow the beetles to run rampant through most of Grand and Summit Counties.

WhereAreWe

<Our break is 3rd week of March and their "family weekend" looked fun. ...... If 5 nights is too much for Snow Mountain area, should we consider splitting the week between there and Estes Park YMCA? We do want to ski, but the snow and seeing mountains was our main reason for going.>

1st - what is this family weekend? I looked at the websites for Snow Mountain to get an idea of what activities were part of the planned weekend. But then I got confused - EP has a themed weekend 3/13-3/15 and Snow Mountain has one 3/27-3/29. The one in EP would fit your Spring Break timing, but you said you were going to Winter Park and that one doesn't seem to fit your dates. Is there a different 'family weekend' that I'm not seeing on their website or do they just have the wrong dates?

2nd - I think you have to decide which is your priority: skiing or seeing RMNP. Based on what you've said, RMNP is at the top of the list and skiing is several notches below that. I would never recommend Snow Mountain as a base camp to visit RMNP, certainly not in winter. Even in summer it's not a great location (Grand Lake would me much better on the west side).

Having said that, your latest post said this: "the snow and seeing mountains was our main reason for going." You will have snow and will see mountains either place (Snow Mountain or Estes Park). The question is how important is RMNP itself? It sounds like you've been to the park before in summer?

If you 'have' to go to RMNP, then the EP side is certainly preferable in winter and you should allot a couple days on that side. If 'seeing mountains' is enough, then Snow Mountain is the obvious choice. You can drive up into RMNP from there but it's not as spectacular or 'user-friendly' on the west side.