We will be staying in CO for about 22 days in July, flying in and out of the Denver airport. My husband has to work in Denver for the first 10-11 days, so we will be near City Park. We have a 10 and 6 year old and were thinking of going to Breckenridge, Estes Park, and Colorado Springs for the remaining days. I think my husband and I would really enjoy Estes Park and the kids would like CO Springs (ghost town). Breckenridge seems like a fun place to stay and I was planning on making a day trip to Vail while there. I've never been to CO before so not sure if these are the 3 best destinations for our family. If so, what order would you recommend going and how many days in each city? Thank you for any advice!

I have been to Colorado twice--but am not an expert. Breckenridge has the mine tour right near town. We also really enjoyed the horse ride there. We rode up where the black diamond runs are in the winter. Very scenic.

Colorado has so many choices. I really loved Aspen, which I saw in the winter and want to go back to see the Maroon Bells.

Colorado Springs is not a ghost town. Also, it's about an hour from Denver. You could certainly visit with your husband, but if you are renting a car, you also could take the kids for the day. Things we did in the Springs included the Olympic Training Center, a tour of the Air Force Academy and Garden of the Gods.

If your kids are 10 and 6, there are lots of great sites with dinosaurs in Colorado. Some are near Denver and you could visit them while your husband is at his conference. The most famous one, the Dinosaur National Monument, is in the northwest corner of the state.

https://www.colorado.com/articles/wh...saurs-colorado

With kids your ages think about all the dinosaur possibilities in Colorado to work in!! I did a tour with our grands when they were about that age. Do a google search also but for a quick list of places I would not miss Woodland Park which is about 25 miles outside of CO Springs. There is an excellent small museum with a number of exhibits of different eras and you can look in on a lab where they are cleaning bones, etc.
Denver museum (don't overlook Denver in your nice long trip) has a good exhibit and the little town of Morrison on the outskirts of Denver just off 470 has a nice exhibit--AND a big ole rock in front they are cleaning and can do some grinding on. Morrison is also the site of the Red Rocks amphitheater, DEFINITELY worth a visit for everyone. And just out of Morrison is a road around Dinosaur Ridge with stops along the way to see tracks. Dinosaur Monument is a good way west and these would be closer for your trip and VERY good exhibits.

For the other parts of your trip, there is a gold mine tour in Idaho Springs, and a little mining loop rail road.
You'd also probably enjoy going further west (if you stay in /breckenridge) to see Glenwood Springs and the exhibit along I70 just east of there showing how they built the highway.
Denver Zoo is a good stop also. Do not bother with the children's museum you may see listed.

I would want to have the kids see Mesa Verde NP and be able to see how people in the area once lived.

Dinosaur NP is a good day trip and be sure to drive past the VC on the west pat of the park to the area where there are pictographs and petroglyphs, some of lizards on the rocks. The drive along rt. 40 is beautiful.

Thank you, your advice is helping me put together a plan! I did not even think about dinosaur exhibits. We will be renting a car so can easily make day trips. Here is what I am now thinking: 8 nights in Denver, 3 days in Colorado Springs (visit Woodland Park while here), 4 days in Estes Park, 4 full days in Breckenridge. I know this isn't the best logistical route but we have to visit family our last day in Denver and they live in a town that is on the way to CO Springs so it makes sense to go there from their home. I'd like to be in Estes Park over the weekend so my husband can hike with us and I feel like it will be doable to get to the Denver airport from Breckenridge?

I would love to see Aspen but am worried about it being a little far. I'm pretty disappointed how far the Great Sand Dunes are from Denver. Would Idaho Springs be a good day trip to make while we're staying in Denver?

You can easily do the Woodland Park/CO Springs visits as day trips from Denver. You might even want to think about staying in the Tech Center area of Denver for your days there--easy to get out of town for your day trips and only a 45 minute drive to the Springs (Denver people feel free to correct). Your husband can even take the light rail into the city if he is going to be working there.
Three days in CO Springs is 'way 'way 'way too much!! 4days in Estes is also.
With that amount of time I totally agree you MUST MUST go to Mesa Verde. Try to get reservations at Far View lodge IN the park although it may be too late now. You will want at least 2 days in that southwest corner and not a day trip from anywhere.
There is also the mining area around Leadville you can see from Breck--

Breckenridge has the aforemention Countyboy mine which when we visited let the kids pan for gold. Breck has its Peak 8 adventure park with rides etc. Ridiculously (IMHO) expensive, but fun. another fun adventure park is at Glenwood springs further west, which also has a neat cave. Not sure what you will do in Colo Springs, but the Cave of the Winds is neat, though the commentary is a bit corny. There are some cliff dwellings nearby, but can't remember if those are the ones mentioned above. Denver has a nice aquarium and there is an airplane museum that might appeal to the kids and adults. It's natural history museum was the first time I saw dino fossils many moons ago.

Thank you for everyone's tips. This trip is turning out a lot harder to plan than I expected, even with all my googling and map looking! Here are a few itineraries, Any advice on the best, or maybe tweaking one to make it better? I want to do what will be the most enjoyable for elementary aged kids.

1. Denver - 9 nights (will do day trips, including 1 day to CO Springs), Breckenridge - 4 nights, Mesa Verde - 3 nights (will be arriving late I assume), Grand Junction? - 2 nights, Denver - 2 nights
2. Denver - 8 nights, CO Springs - 3 nights/2 days with arriving late and leaving early, Mesa Verde - 3 nights/arriving late, Breckenridge - 4 nights, Estes Park - 2 nights/1 day
3. Denver - 8 nights. CO Springs - 3 nights, Breckenridge - 5 nights (do day trips from here), Estes Park - 4 nights/3days

I'm worried Plans 1 & 2 will be a lot of driving for the kids. It's hard to know how much time will be spent in the car because I'm not sure if we'll hit traffic or need to take breaks, etc.

"Colorado Springs is not a ghost town"

No, but it has one!

Ghost Town Museum - Colorado Springs Family-friendly Attraction

I think Colorado Springs as a day trip is giving it short shrift, especially if one wants to fit in Woodland Park.

Traffic on I-25 from Denver to the Springs can be a bear, not to mention the summer traffic up Highway 24 towards Woodland Park - which was horrible last year (I live in the area). And I'm fully expecting it to be a nightmare this year thanks to the closure of the Cog Railway - anyone wanting to see Pikes Peak will have to drive and there's only one way to get there.

There are ghost towns all over Colorado, you don't need to make a trip to Colorado Springs to see one.

11 Colorado ghost towns you should visit | Colorado Springs Gazette | Colorado Springs Gazette, News

Check out this link for some day trips from Denver.
https://www.denver.org/things-to-do/...s-near-denver/

You could stop at Great Sand Dunes on the way to Mesa Verde. It's not on the most direct route but only adds about an hour of extra driving. I wouldn't stay in Grand Junction for 2 nights unless you have something in particular you want to see there.

Just an FYI that Grand Junction will be blistering hot in July. Colorado National Monument can easily fill a day, but it's not a place I'd seek out in July. IMO the best part of the area is nearby Pallisade - Colorado's fruit basket and wine growing region.

You’ve gotten lots of suggestions but I really think you need to just start plugging destinations into a Google Map and getting a rough idea of your mileages, and where you'd stop along the way. Then do a night-by-night "sleep in Breck on days 1, 2, 3.....

I would recommend that you do Colorado Springs as Day trips. And also possibly Estes Park as a day trip, or a weekend trip before taking your longer road trip. (Is your husband off during that weekend while you are all in Denver?) Anyway, that makes your road-trip options much simpler. You have basically two routes, with some variations on those two plans.

1. The first route goes out I-70 to Aspen and back to Denver. Along the way, stop at Breckenridge and Vail (stay a few days Breck). So I plugged in the Google map numbers for you....
a. Denver-Breckenridge-Vail-Aspen-Denver Total miles 439 miles, 8 hours driving without traffic. I use the number of hours as a starting point, Google tends to be optimistic.
b. Alternative: Denver Breckenridge-Vail-Aspen-Black Canyon of the Gunnison-Denver. This would be more of a loop and you’d see different things on the way back. But it jumps to 656 miles and your driving time jumps to 12.5 hours.

2. A big circular loop, that will go from Denver to the Southwest corner of the state, then back north and East. The map I plugged in comes to 877 miles of driving and 16.5 hours. Here is the route I plugged in: Denver- Durango-Mesa Verde- Black Canyon of the Gunnison South Visitor Center—Aspen—Vail—Denver.

Again, my mantra--print a paper map and put these places in. Then google and get the drive times and write them down. The Great Sand Dunes is a good idea for a stopover on the way to Mesa Verde.
Look at the other ways to get places--like Leadville which is not on i70.
Leave Grand junction off.
Maybe more than one day trip to CO Springs--it is not that far. You can do the ghost town and the kitsch of downtown CO springs. Do Woodland another day.
Do a day in Morrison and red Rocks while in Denver. Do the Aquarium and the zoo. while in Denver.

Downtown Colorado Springs is kitschy?

Maybe she means Manitou Springs? Although I am a sucker for a great Christmas ornament store, so I can't agree there.

Oh yes, Manitou Springs. Sorry. Although I'm not all that blown away by the Springs either.

"I think Colorado Springs as a day trip is giving it short shrift, especially if one wants to fit in Woodland Park.
Traffic on I-25 from Denver to the Springs can be a bear, not to mention the summer traffic up Highway 24 towards Woodland Park - which was horrible last year (I live in the area). "

I am suggesting doing maybe more than one day trip from Denver (they have 8 days there) and not spending nights there. And traffic IS bad, but when you are a tourist in tourist season, some things are not avoidable.

Colorado National Monument isn't worth the trip--but I think it is "Dinosaur Monument" that was mentioned.

Colorado National Monument is very much worth the trip - if one has sufficient time and interest! However, that's about as exciting as Grand Junction gets IMO.

What a boring place the world would be if we all liked the same things.

The only way I would consider Grand Junction from Denver would be on the Amtrak California Zephyr. When on time the train is in Denver at 8AM. The most beautiful daytime scenery IMO is the Glenwood Canyon east of Glenwood Springs. The train (when on time) arrives in Grand Junction about 4 PM.Spend the night in Grand Junction and rent a car the next morning. You could easily extend the trip to Moab Utah and see Arches NP.
If you did this, you could easily fly home from SLC. The train arrives in SLC in the early morning hours. West of Grand Junction is the Ruby Canyon. The only way to see it is from the train or a boat on the Colorado River.

I came to this a little late but am always amazed at some of the recommendations from non-residents. If I understand correctly you have 11 days in Denver because of business and then another 11 days to wonder around. Keeping a 10 and 6 year old entertained will be challenging. Not sure where you will be around City Park. That is not a major commercial area and not one of our better areas. OK but not great. Safe but bland. The zoo and the natural history museum at in the park. The Natural History Museum has a great, hands on, interactive areas for kids. We take our granddaughters there frequently. Eats up a whole afternoon.

Within an hour, there are a number of kids friendly sites. Half way to Boulder is the Butterfly Pavilion. And for some reason, they are featureing an octopus at the moment. Kids love it. On the outside limit of one hour is Georgetown and the Georgetown railroad. Old narrow gauge railroad with open cars. Not long - 30 minutes. There is a miners camp and a silver mine in the middle. It is pretty crude so you get a real feel for what mining was like 130 years ago. The ten year old would probably like. Georgetown is more for adults but has a couple of good ice cream places.

About 30 minutes from Denver is Tiny Town - Morrison. Goggle it. The kids would love it. About the same distance in Golden is a huge railroad museum with full side old cars and indoor huge "O" gauge, model railroad layout. A little further down the road in Idaho Springs is the Argo Gold Mine. They give tours - not sure if it would appeal to the kids. There is also Dinosaur ridge on the western edge of Denver.

Colorado Springs to the south contain old Colorado City a historical site or Manitou Springs and the Cave of the Winds. Goggle Manitou Springs for more ideas.

For your other 11 days, I would look at staying in one or two places with day trips. I think Trail Ridge Road is an absolute drive but Estes Park is just an over grown touristy town of t-shirts and candy shops. And there is nothing there of great interest to to a 6 or 10 year old. You can overnight in EPark if you like but it not worth three days as suggested earlier.

Mesa Verde is a great site to visit but you are looking at a drive of a min of 8 hrs and closer to 10 with kids. That is two full days out of you 11. Save it for a time when you can spend a week or more in the area.

I would opt for a condo in Breckenridge or perhaps Frisco. Breck is an old mining town with lots of restaurants, a good rec center with pools. And convenient to a lot of sites. Glenwood Canyon, Hanging Lake in the canyon but it now requires a reservation, hot spring pool in Glenwood, Leadville and the Mineral Belt Loop Trail., Most of the areas have outdoor rec areas. I would your travels to the central mountains. Aspen, Glenwood, Vail, Steamboat, Breckenridge, Georgetown. You can come back at another time for the rest of the state.

Just read in the local rag that Pikes Peak may soon prohibit private vehicles and mandate shuttle rides to the summit of Pikes Peak. This probably won't affect you as you never mentioned the Peak, but I did, so I wanted to give an update.