We will be traveling from southwest Colorado to the Denver area in the first part of July. We will not be hiking. Shown below are our proposed routes. We want to make photo stops and to visit some historic places that do not require a lot of walking.

Our questions are:

1. Is the daily mileage doable without having to rush?

2. Have we missed stops that we should plan on visiting?

3. Is the loop on day 2 a sensible trip to make?

The distances and times are from Google Maps.



Day 1: Durango, over the Million Dollar Highway to Black Canyon National Park, traveling to the west end at High Point. Then back to US 50 to Gunnison for the night.

4 hr 59 min 241miles https://maps.app.goo.gl/nLYPhTbcdPyX6jKH6

Day 2: From Gunnison, making a clockwise loop through Hotchkiss to Redstone Historic District. Then stopping at Marble, then through the Kebler Pass to Crest Butte for supper, and then to overnight again in Gunnison.

6 hr 226 miles https://maps.app.goo.gl/ttSx3xUysrmRb79F6

Day 3. Depart Gunnison via US 50 to St. Elmo and Mt. Princeton Hot Springs. On to Leadville for the night.

3 hr 5 min 145 miles https://maps.app.goo.gl/ovv4aG5Txh3gt4L57

Day 4 Leadville to Silverthorne on CO 91. Take US 6 from Silverthorne to Loveland, then on I-70 to Idaho Springs. Detour off on Mt. Blue Sky Scenic Drive. Down off the mountain onto I-70 for about 5 miles to where US 6 takes off toward Golden, Westminster, where we have our reservation.

3 hr 54 min 166 miles https://maps.app.goo.gl/6n9F1F5FGjfiuC2H6

That's a lot of time in the car

Do you plan to visit Mt. Princeton Hot Springs - as in spend an afternoon soaking there?

Do you live in Durango or are you a visitor to CO?

Sounds like a look at the scenery as we drive by kind of trip. Is that what you're looking for?

Don't underestimate how busy CO gets in July.

Thanks, Melnq8, for your questions and comments.
Do you plan to visit Mt. Princeton Hot Springs - as in spend an afternoon soaking there? Yes, we are planning on stopping there. How long we spend will depend on what time we get there. We could blow off St. Elmo and soak more.

Do you live in Durango or are you a visitor to CO? We live in Peoria, AZ. The first day of our trip is driving from Peoria to Durango. We did Mesa Verde and the Durango-Silverton Railroad two years ago. We then headed east from Durago to Colorado Springs.

Sounds like a look at the scenery as we drive by kind of trip. Is that what you're looking for? Yes, that is the type of trip we plan to do in the 4 days in Colorado.

Don't underestimate how busy CO gets in July. THANKS for that reminder.

Is there a way you can have lunch in Salida? There's a cool restaurant right down on the clear, rushing Arkansas River and you can sit outside on a deck overlooking it. I think it's the Boathouse Cantina which opens at 11:00 am.

PrairieHikerI Thanks for the tip on the Boathouse Contina. I searched the Boathouse Contina, and it looks great. Trip-wise, it won't work as we will be past Salida long before lunch.