Did a sidestep search and found an excellent airfare from Miami to Denver. Never have been to Denver and only breifly stayed in Cortez CO for Mesa Verde. I ADORE mountains, hiking and would love to do a whitewater rafting trip ,,,medium grade. We will be there for 11 days, How could we divide our stay...RMNP, maybe Aspen, Ouray, Boulder??? DH wants to do a Rockies game too. What would be your highlights of this gorgeous state?

What are your dates? Timing is everything in Colorado.

July 17-28 2006

Great time! My personal favorite drive is Independence Pass. If you are staying in Aspen it's an easy trip. I like to make the big circle over the pass, and back out through Leadville to I-70 and west through Glenwood Canyon. It's a long days drive but it's really beautiful. You'll want to check out the Maroon Bells also if you're in the Aspen area. There are rafting trips you can arrange while in Aspen. Also, lots of hiking, shopping and eating.

If you go to RMNP you can check out Boulder on the way. Maybe stay in Estes Park for a night or two, visit the park and then head on to Aspen.

You will surely get your fill of mountains.

We get in around 10:30pm...should we drive to Estes or stay closer?

Maybe stay in Boulder? Then you can check out Boulder the next morning, have breakfast and head up to Estes and RMNP.

Another thought; on the drive from RMNP, stop in Dillon and have lunch at the Tiki Bar at the Marina.

Just a thought, but flying in late from the low altitude of Miami, I'd opt for a hotel in Denver for the night to give yourselves time to adjust to the altitude before heading off to even higher elevations. Is it possible to schedule your Rockies game for the next day?

I think the prettiest mountains in Colorado are in the SW near Durango, Ouray, Telluride, etc (you can drive the "million dollar highway" loop). Great hiking and neat old towns-I think this area blows away anything near Denver, including RMNP. The Maroon Bells near Aspen as already suggested are neat, too.
Great Sand Dunes NP is very cool though in July, it might be a bit hot there.

Paige, My husband has a lttle more of a problem with altitude than I do. I was thinking of driving to Boulder or Estes right away, and doing Denver(plus Rockies) on the return leg. I would like to do Ouray,,,but I am wondering if we should be driving that far on this trip. Is the Black Cayon of Gunniston doable also?

Judy - If your husband has a problem with altitude sickness, I'd suggest doing the trip in reverse order, saving RMNP for later in the trip to allow more acclimation time. Estes Park and RMNP are above 9000 feet, and that's a pretty big jump to make from sea level with just an overnight stay in Denver or Boulder to adjust. If you were just going to drive through it wouldn't be so bad, but if you're planning on making a couple days of it, it might not be pleasant.

If scheduling RMNP/Estes early in the trip is the only way to go, I'd say drink lots and lots of water and have some aspirin ready. Definitely stay in Denver or Boulder the first night if that's the way you go - you wouldn't make it to EP until probably 1am (by the time you get your bags and rental car).

I'm with Christy 1, the SW part of Colorado, including the Black Canyon, Gunnison, Crested Butte, & on down to Telluride, is more satisfying than the tourist hubbub of RMNP. Depends on what you are looking for.

Some of these posts are a little too ambitious.

Not knowing your age and anything about you besides you like to hike and baseball it is difficult to suggest what you may like. last summer we flew into Denver stayed with friends in Boulder and then drove to Telluride. This is a 7/1/2 hour drive and Ouray is farther. While Teluride was enjoyable I would never go back. It is essentially a laid-back half/mile one street town with ok shops and restaurants. You have to have $$$$$ to live in and nearby. There is not that much going on compared to Aspen, for example.

Aspen is about 4-41/2 hours from Denver. Aspen is very up-scale and openly flaunts its wealth. There is good hiking to Maroon Bells and golf and plays/music. it is considerably larger than Tulluride. I personally enjoyed it there.

Vail is made up of Vail Village, Beaver Creek, & Avon. There are many more tourists and residents around the village so itsa much more festive than anywhere else. Some poeple love Vail becuase of the sking, proximity to Denver/Boulder and because it offers just about everything most people look for in a mountain vacation.

About 30-45 minutes fron Vail closer to Denver is Breckenridge. It is a nice town -more casual than Vail or Aspen and is a fun place. I enjoyed it very much.

Estes Park is horrible. It is fun for about 1 hour.It is close to RMNP.

Boulder is not really a tourist destination. It does have a great pedestrian mall and a nice downtown area. it has good restauarants, shopping and is close to mountain attractions. Like Denver, it is located next to but not in the mountains. If you go to Boulder take a drive into Canyon Road to Nederland for lunch.

Denver does have the Rockies baseball team but little else of any interest.

Think about a trip to Aspen/ Vail/ Breckenridge and maybe Bouler

Thanks all for your info. BTW, we are baby boomers who love to do fun things. I tried to get a Colorado guidebook at the library...but they were all checked out. Will buy a guide at Borders. I am not finding agreement here, do you think? I think the first night we will stay close to the airport and head out(where?) the next day. Maybe Vail and/or Aspen, then Estes for 2 days then Denver for 2 days for the Rockies game. I heard the stadium is beautiful...and DH is a baseball fanatic!

Have you checked when the Rockies are in town? I'd do Estes first (give you a chance to acclimatize. I think you could make it to Boulder for the first night. Then head up to Aspen or Vail. Given your preferences, I'd pick Aspen. It's not so expensive in summer. I spent a night at www.aspenmountainlodge.com and found it well located, affordable and comfortable with a nice included breakfast. While in Aspen you can visit Maroon Bells and drive up Independence Pass as well as do your hiking and rafting.

Judy - With 11 days you can find time to do quite a bit. You could start out by heading south through CO Springs, maybe go to top of Pikes Peak, and then head west to Black Canyon. Not much hiking there because the canyon is so steep, but the views are pretty cool. I've not been to SW CO, so you'll have to rely on others for info on that. There have to be several places you could find with whitewater rafting. If you start by heading south first, that will give you some time to acclimate before hitting the mountains. The altitude will definitely affect you when you're hiking.

In Denver, there are plenty of things to do. The aquarium is really good. I've heard the zoo is decent, but I've never been there. REI's flagship store is pretty close to the aquarium, which you might appreciate given your interests. Boulder is only about 30 miles away, and has lots of hiking close by. Locals tend to skip RMNP and head to Indian Peaks Wilderness instead, which is directly south of RMNP. You have time to do some hiking in both, and I'd have to recommend driving Trail Ridge Road through RMNP. I wouldn't say Estes Park is anything special, but most people go there as a gateway to RMNP, not as a destination by itself. Grand Lake (on the west side) is smaller and slower paced. In general, the trails on the west side are less populated, especially in summer.

It looks like the Rockies are in town July 24 - 28. I would spend the first night close to the airport and then head to RMNP in the morning. I'm not a fan of Estes Park, but it is the gateway to RMNP and your best choice for lodging. Spend a night or two and then head out of the park over Trail Ridge Road toward Grand Lake. Possibly spend a night or two in Summit County or Vail. From Vail head toward Leadville and then over Independence Pass on your way to Aspen. Finish your trip with two nights in Denver and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

Have been doing a search for hotels in Aspen and Vail and the prices are mind boggling. I thought that it was off season then! Wiil be staying at Estes Park for 3 nights at the Lake Lodge,,,then after that...I am still thinking this out.

Judy, If you have a car, check out the price of condos at Snowmass. You might find a better deal.

Also, Summit County prices in summer are pretty good. You'll be in the same mountains, there's shopping and fine food and you can visit Vail and Aspen on a day drive.

Catbert, I am looking at Breckenridge,,,,they seem to have more reasonable rooms in town. Will Breckenridge be comparable to Aspen or Vail?

Not really comparable. It's a small town, but cute.