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Colorado and altitudes

Hi everyone, I'm from the southeast where there is no elevation :-) and was planning a first trip to Colorado with a 55-yr old and a 60-yr old. We have 3 days. Now, my questions are: 1. Denver is about 5000 ft. above sea level. Are there any natl parks/scenery within the same altitude? we're not into strenous hiking or skiing. 2. In general what parks and places and in what order should we visit them to minimize altitude problems? 3. We're not skiers, should we take a train trip to the Rockies? to pike peaks? I just wanted to hear from some folks who travel to Colorado from a place of no elevation and what they have learned. Thanks.

Both the Rocky Mountain National Park and Pikes Peak are in the 12,000-14,000-foot category. They are both worth seeing, but if the 55- and 60-year olders have problems with high altitudes, it obviously might be a strain. If you have a car, the ride through Rocky Mountain National Park is well worth your time. You can take a train to the top of Pikes Peak. And, again, it's worth your time. In both instances you can enjoy the areas without strenuous hiking. For RMNP, stay in Estes Park at the entrance to th RMNP and there is indeed beautiful scenery in the area.

As a 20 year resident of Colorado, there are a couple of things, I would recommend. Don't do anything strenuous the first day. You will notice that climbing alot of stairs in Denver are a challenge if you are coming from a low altitude. And force yourself to drink alot more water than you might normally. If you go either by train or car up to the mountains, take a coat and sunscreen no matter what the weather. Colorado Springs, the air force academy and the garden of the gods is at around 7000 ft. and would not be a stressful trip... Rocky Mountain National Park is spectacular as are Breckenridge and some other mountain towns. Be careful if you drink alcohol...you can not drink as much at higher altitudes. You can also visit Golden(Coors Brewing),Blackhawk(gambling),Boulder,which are more in the foothills. Just take it easy and you should be fine.

I'm from Maryland (no elevation) and I LOVE Rocky Mountain National Park. A couple of years ago, when I was a youngster in my 50s, my family drove through the park. We took a short hike up in the top of the park, well above the tree line. We had no trouble (it was a mostly level hike). This summer we're visiting Yellowstone and the Tetons, and I hope to do a bit of up-hill hiking. I dislike the tone of this conversation implying that 55 and 20 are OLD!

Oops, I obviously meant 60.

Didn't mean to say anything about being old (my parents) :-) I just read that high altitudes can pose a problem for some people. Again, I'm not into visiting breweries. Besides, Garden of Gods, are there any other scenic parks/mountains that are low in altitude i.e less than 10,000 ft and also within 2 hrs drive from Denver? Where are the so called "foothills"? And what is there to see? Also, can anyone drive up to Rockies and stop say at 10,000 ft. and go back down? I'm not sure if it's labelled as such. any tours or train trips you found interesting? Hopefully, it will be warm in May.... Thanks a bunch!!!

Chimp: My response is a little vague, but it may help you. Any decent map (Rand McNally atlas) will show altitudes of cities, peaks, etc. I realize that doesn't tell you how you'll feel, but you can get an idea of what's what.

Diane, I'm right about your age, but have always suffered from altitude even when 20. I think it's more your body chemistry than your age. My husband will attest to the fact that I can tell you whenever the altitude approaches 6000 feet and certainly get awful feeling at 7000. Denver is about 5500 and as long as I take it easy and follow the precautions above, I'm OK. The interstate (70, I believe) is marked with elevations along the way. The Eisenhower tunnel is about 10,000 as I recall and some of the skiing peaks higher than that. As soon as I go above 6000 I feel that puppy sitting on my chest and the tight headband headache. Maybe some here can tell you the elevation of Bryce and Zion--they would be pretty parks to visit. There's also the Black Hills in SD which I think are lower and the Yosemite Valley floor is in the 4000 range, although some of the park is higher. Lots of level and very beautiful walks in Yosemite (but then, it's not Colorado, so it might not fit the bill) Good luck. Maybe your parents won't have any problems at all. You never know.

I can't think of any parks other than Garden of the Gods that are at the lower elevations. You can drive around Red Rocks, which is an area in the foothills west of Denver, and mildly interesting. If you do so, stop at "The Fort" afterward for dinner or drinks on the beautiful terrace overlooking Denver and the Plains to the east. Don't plan your trip around the possibility of getting altitude sickness - lots of people don't have any problems. Municipalities in Colorado are proud of their elevations (it's a Colorado thing), and as you enter one, the city sign will include the elevation. (For example, Breckenridge is at 9300 or so.) But I don't recall that elevations are posted along the highway, except at the top of the passes (i.e., Eisentower Tunnel is at Loveland Pass, and there's a sign there). The "foothills" are the first line of tall hills, before you enter the mountains themselves. The "Front Range" is generally considered Denver & the first set of mountains that you see from Denver. (To continue the lesson, the "Western Slope" is the western side of the Rocky Mountains, on the western side of Colorado.) Weather in Colorado is variable in May. In Denver, it should be warm and very pleasant, though cool at night (jacket/sweater). If you venture into the mountains, it could be just as warm, or it could be snowy. The best cure for altitude sickness is to move to lower altitudes. The best part of the Denver area (where I live) is the mountains, so I'd hate for you to miss them. Plan a drive up into the mountains (there's no train to Rocky Mtn. National Park), and if anybody starts to feel unwell, head back down. Drink plenty of liquids & take Tylenol if you get a headache, and don't drink alcohol. You can drive to Rocky Mountain National Park (though I'm not sure that the main road through the Park, Ridge Rd., will be open by the time you visit), or drive on I-70 west, through Eisenhower Tunnel (about 10,000 feet) into Summit County (about 1 1/2 hours from Denver). You can wander around Breckenridge (former mining town, in addition to the ski resort) and the other towns (Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne), and enjoy the beautiful scenary without exerting yourselves too much. If it's a nice day, you can sit outside for lunch. If you feel like it, you can rent bikes and ride through the valley. Or, if you're into trains, there is a narrow-gauge railroad loop in Georgetown, which is a pretty little former mining town a little east of Loveland Pass. My parents (60 and 62 yrs.) are from Michigan, and have never had any altitude problems visiting us either in Denver or Breckenridge, though they can tell the difference in altitude. Enjoy your stay - Colorado is a beautiful place to visit!

Along with the altitude goes very dry air...so, based on numerous trips over the past 25 years to visit family in Colorado, here are a couple of little things you can do to assure comfort: Keep bottles of water with you - 'cottonmouth' goes with the territory. Similarly, a little Vaseline for the nose and some eye drops can come in very handy.

We stayed in Beaver Creek coming from sea level New Jersey. We were a little short of breath at the top of the mountain but certainly tolerable. We also followed the "drink lots of water" suggestion.