Colorado Road Trip??
May 28th, 2010, 07:54 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Colorado Road Trip??
Need some help in finishng our trip plan. Yes I know we are doing alot of driving but my husband doesn't mind driving and he wants to see Colorado...most of it: I have the beginning planned and the end but not the middle: Durango/Gunnison
June 12 saturday arrive in Denver at 7:30am-drive to Grand Junction stay at Courtyard ( points)Colorado National Mounument
June 13 Drive to Moab and then stay the night in Mesa Verde
June 14 Mesa Verde, stay another night
June 15 Durango-no lodging yet would prefer something with kitchen, clean, rustic OK doesn't need to be fancy can be out of town
June 16 Durango
June 17 drive to Gunnison see Black Canyon
June 18 drive to Colorado Springs (stay at Marriott-points)-Royal Gorge, Pikes peak
June 19 see a site before driving to Denver for 3:30pm flight
Need suggestions for lodging Durango, Gunnison, raft trip, fishing, and hiking,: Also best driving routes.
Thanks for the help
June 12 saturday arrive in Denver at 7:30am-drive to Grand Junction stay at Courtyard ( points)Colorado National Mounument
June 13 Drive to Moab and then stay the night in Mesa Verde
June 14 Mesa Verde, stay another night
June 15 Durango-no lodging yet would prefer something with kitchen, clean, rustic OK doesn't need to be fancy can be out of town
June 16 Durango
June 17 drive to Gunnison see Black Canyon
June 18 drive to Colorado Springs (stay at Marriott-points)-Royal Gorge, Pikes peak
June 19 see a site before driving to Denver for 3:30pm flight
Need suggestions for lodging Durango, Gunnison, raft trip, fishing, and hiking,: Also best driving routes.
Thanks for the help
May 28th, 2010, 08:08 AM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,876
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Your title sort of says it all--road trip. You are going to do a "drive by" of Colorado. Hardly worth the bother, in my opinion. One day in Mesa VErde. Yes, possible, but why.
I don't even think your trip is possible. Where do you plan to stay in Mesa Verde. If you don't stay at the Far View, there is a good bit of driving associated with that.
There's a pretty spectacular national Park in Colorado also.
I don't even think your trip is possible. Where do you plan to stay in Mesa Verde. If you don't stay at the Far View, there is a good bit of driving associated with that.
There's a pretty spectacular national Park in Colorado also.
May 28th, 2010, 08:20 AM
#3
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 727
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Keep in mind that although the distances might not look so long on a map, driving is slow along the back roads of Colorado. Mountain passes and narrow roads mean that in many long stretches, you won't make more than 35-40 MPH, often less. If you're driving to Mesa Verde via Moab - you won't have time to even enter either Arches or Canyonlands - definitely take that off the itinerary. If you just concentrate on Mesa Verde/Durango, you'll see plenty driving and to from there and Denver. Go directly there and don't worry about Colorado Springs or Moab.
May 28th, 2010, 08:57 AM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have reservations at Mesa Verde for 2 nights. I figured it would take 4-5 hours to drive from Grand Junction to Mesa Verde and stop in Moab for 4-5 hours. My husband really wanted to go Grand Junction. Is the time on Map quest realistic or not when driving in Colorado?
May 28th, 2010, 12:38 PM
#5
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,777
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Colo. Natl. Monument and Moab is more like going on a Utah trip, than a Colorado trip. With your limited time, you may want to exclude Utah and do that next time.
If NOT, I think your plan so far is good to go thru GJ and stay in Moab - but you'd need to stay two nights to see Arches/Canyonlands as tekwriter suggests, otherwise I think it's kind of a waste to go there.
Head south to Monticello and cross back to Colorado, seeing Mesa Verde and Durango in that order.
Take 550 north through the mountains, to Montrose and head east on 50 to see the Black Canyon and on to Gunnison, and the Springs then back to Denver.
If NOT, I think your plan so far is good to go thru GJ and stay in Moab - but you'd need to stay two nights to see Arches/Canyonlands as tekwriter suggests, otherwise I think it's kind of a waste to go there.
Head south to Monticello and cross back to Colorado, seeing Mesa Verde and Durango in that order.
Take 550 north through the mountains, to Montrose and head east on 50 to see the Black Canyon and on to Gunnison, and the Springs then back to Denver.
May 28th, 2010, 01:10 PM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Boy I am confused. I am trying to talk my husband into leaving Moab, Mesa Verde, for an Utah trip and go to RMNP instead and cancel SW Colorado. This is really a last minute trip. Go to RMNP for a few days and then to Colorado Springs and call it a trip.
I only decided to do Moab when the Fodors' National parks book said "plan on half-day visit for basic road tour and stops at over looks"
I only decided to do Moab when the Fodors' National parks book said "plan on half-day visit for basic road tour and stops at over looks"
May 28th, 2010, 02:27 PM
#7
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 727
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm curious what exactly the guidebook was referring to as a half-day tour... just Arches or just Canyonlands? Moab itself is just a small town of motels and restaurants, not really the destination. You would so need to spend more than a half day at either park and could not contemplate seeing both even if you drove at breakneck speed (i.e. 25 mph!)
If you stick to the original itinerary, you'd see some gorgeous scenery but you'd be in the car practically every moment of the trip without much opportunity to raft, hike or fish. I am like you in that I am always tempted to get as much in as possible on a trip, but I've learned that it's slow going driving out here. I do like your suggestion of doing just RMNP and Colorado Springs - that's a nice trip in seven days. You could do all of the above at a leisurely pace and actually see some of this fabulous area up close! Or just do the Utah/SW part of the trip and enjoy that as well. Another thing, it's starting to get pretty hot in the SW now, so if that's an issue for you, take that into consideration.
If you stick to the original itinerary, you'd see some gorgeous scenery but you'd be in the car practically every moment of the trip without much opportunity to raft, hike or fish. I am like you in that I am always tempted to get as much in as possible on a trip, but I've learned that it's slow going driving out here. I do like your suggestion of doing just RMNP and Colorado Springs - that's a nice trip in seven days. You could do all of the above at a leisurely pace and actually see some of this fabulous area up close! Or just do the Utah/SW part of the trip and enjoy that as well. Another thing, it's starting to get pretty hot in the SW now, so if that's an issue for you, take that into consideration.
May 28th, 2010, 04:32 PM
#8
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,777
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm all for a smaller loop with more mountains. From Denver you could go to Estes Park for a couple of days, then take 70 West to Glenwood Springs to pick up Hwy 133 over McClure Pass. That will connect to 50 East again to Montrose, Gunnison, Springs. It would be prettier than driving from Moab to Monticello!
May 29th, 2010, 05:04 AM
#12
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,876
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just curious. Have you seen any of Colorado? I love SW CO but the mountains and the Park are just so stunning.Sheri's idea is good, and maybe incorporate a loop through Leadville some way. Colorado Springs is 'way down on my list of stuff to do, if the rest of CO is up for grabs.
May 29th, 2010, 07:39 AM
#14
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you go to Colorado Springs, were you planning to drive up Pike's Peak or take the cog train to the top? Either way, that takes a big chunk of time. The train is very popular in summer, so advance reservations are recommended.
May 29th, 2010, 06:33 PM
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have never been to Colorado but my husband had been at least 8 times to ski (and each time a different place) I would prefer RMNP he wants Mesa Verde. After much discussion we will go to Arches and Mesa Verde and concentrate our time in those two parks. Arches has been on my "to do" list. Not sure of the logistics but at least we have a new plan that I think will work better...lots of driving at the beg and end. And yes I know the temps will be warm in Moab in June.
Jun 2nd, 2010, 03:24 PM
#16
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 623
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I try never to rain on someone’s to-do list (it gets all smudgy, the ink runs, and Leadville ends up looking like Lady Gaga)…..so I won’t. I must admit though that at first glance your itinerary looks a little daunting. But a little daunting is good for us once in a while, and some people actually prefer it to no daunting at all.
That said….I say go for it. You arrive in Denver early enough in the morning to make Grand Junction by 1 or 2 p.m. and since the sun doesn’t set until nearly 9 p.m., you should have plenty of time to settle in your hotel and tour Colorado Nat’l Monument. For the most dramatic effect, I’d suggest seeing the monument in the late, late afternoon or evening when the setting sun casts shadows and highlights the colors.
Your whirlwind tour of Arches and eastern Utah is do-able. Counting on maybe 5 hours of driving between Grand Junction & Mesa Verde via Moab, should leave you enough time to drive the road in Arches and maybe take a little hike or two
Fishing may be a tricky matter. After all you are moving around a lot and not spending a lot of time anywhere except the Durango area. Cabins on a lake are extremely rare in Colorado. It’s not like northern Wisconsin or Minnesota with mom & pop places on the waters edge. As a matter of fact, outside of Grand Lake, I know of none. Most lakes out here are reservoirs with the water and surrounding land owned by the government or the pertinent water district, and little or no private land ownership or development. Cabins or motels on a river are a little more likely, but at this time of year the rivers can be swollen, fast, dirty, and dangerous with the melting snowpack from up high. I’ve stayed at the Holiday Inn in downtown Durango and fished the Animas River from out its back door, but I wouldn’t do it in June – slip into it and the river will sweep you away.
Many towns have fishing ponds (usually kids ponds) somewhere in the area that are stocked by the Division of Wildlife with catchable trout. I don’t know whether there are any in Durango. I can suggest a place to fish on the day you travel from Durango to Gunnison though. Leaving Durango you’ll head up to Silverton, then over Red Mountain Pass on the Million Dollar Highway to Ouray, then north to Ridgeway and Montrose. Just north of Ridgeway is the Ridgeway Reservoir and the state park associated with it (http://parks.state.co.us/SiteCollect...wayParkMap.pdf). Below the dam is the Pa-Co-Chu-Puk area of the state park (http://parks.state.co.us/SiteCollect...oChuPukMap.pdf). This area is well marked from the highway and you should easily find it. Inside this area are two stocked fishing ponds. The Uncompaghre River also flows through this area and if the reservoir is still filling itself with the river’s runoff from above, the river below the dam may be fishable. It’ll cost you a daily state park admission fee ($6 per car), and fishing the river is all catch-and-release with artificial flies & lures only (you can keep the fish you catch out of the ponds and you can use anything for bait in them), but it’s the most likely place I can suggest to get yourself into some fish along your itinerary.
Another place you could try that day is from the shore of Blue Mesa Reservoir between Montrose and Gunnison. Blue Mesa Reservoir is the largest body of water in the state, and U.S. Hwy 50 parallels its shoreline for many miles. Numerous “day-use” areas exist along the shore with easy access from the highway (http://www.nps.gov/cure/planyourvisi...map2009_06.pdf).
Pac Man Pond in Jorgensen Park on the east end of the town of Gunnison is another good opportunity for kids to catch fish
The Colorado Division of Wildlife has a great fishing section on its website (http://wildlife.state.co.us/Fishing/). The daily bag limit is 4 trout per person (unless otherwise posted), and anyone over the age of 16 needs a fishing license.
Have a great trip.
That said….I say go for it. You arrive in Denver early enough in the morning to make Grand Junction by 1 or 2 p.m. and since the sun doesn’t set until nearly 9 p.m., you should have plenty of time to settle in your hotel and tour Colorado Nat’l Monument. For the most dramatic effect, I’d suggest seeing the monument in the late, late afternoon or evening when the setting sun casts shadows and highlights the colors.
Your whirlwind tour of Arches and eastern Utah is do-able. Counting on maybe 5 hours of driving between Grand Junction & Mesa Verde via Moab, should leave you enough time to drive the road in Arches and maybe take a little hike or two
Fishing may be a tricky matter. After all you are moving around a lot and not spending a lot of time anywhere except the Durango area. Cabins on a lake are extremely rare in Colorado. It’s not like northern Wisconsin or Minnesota with mom & pop places on the waters edge. As a matter of fact, outside of Grand Lake, I know of none. Most lakes out here are reservoirs with the water and surrounding land owned by the government or the pertinent water district, and little or no private land ownership or development. Cabins or motels on a river are a little more likely, but at this time of year the rivers can be swollen, fast, dirty, and dangerous with the melting snowpack from up high. I’ve stayed at the Holiday Inn in downtown Durango and fished the Animas River from out its back door, but I wouldn’t do it in June – slip into it and the river will sweep you away.
Many towns have fishing ponds (usually kids ponds) somewhere in the area that are stocked by the Division of Wildlife with catchable trout. I don’t know whether there are any in Durango. I can suggest a place to fish on the day you travel from Durango to Gunnison though. Leaving Durango you’ll head up to Silverton, then over Red Mountain Pass on the Million Dollar Highway to Ouray, then north to Ridgeway and Montrose. Just north of Ridgeway is the Ridgeway Reservoir and the state park associated with it (http://parks.state.co.us/SiteCollect...wayParkMap.pdf). Below the dam is the Pa-Co-Chu-Puk area of the state park (http://parks.state.co.us/SiteCollect...oChuPukMap.pdf). This area is well marked from the highway and you should easily find it. Inside this area are two stocked fishing ponds. The Uncompaghre River also flows through this area and if the reservoir is still filling itself with the river’s runoff from above, the river below the dam may be fishable. It’ll cost you a daily state park admission fee ($6 per car), and fishing the river is all catch-and-release with artificial flies & lures only (you can keep the fish you catch out of the ponds and you can use anything for bait in them), but it’s the most likely place I can suggest to get yourself into some fish along your itinerary.
Another place you could try that day is from the shore of Blue Mesa Reservoir between Montrose and Gunnison. Blue Mesa Reservoir is the largest body of water in the state, and U.S. Hwy 50 parallels its shoreline for many miles. Numerous “day-use” areas exist along the shore with easy access from the highway (http://www.nps.gov/cure/planyourvisi...map2009_06.pdf).
Pac Man Pond in Jorgensen Park on the east end of the town of Gunnison is another good opportunity for kids to catch fish
The Colorado Division of Wildlife has a great fishing section on its website (http://wildlife.state.co.us/Fishing/). The daily bag limit is 4 trout per person (unless otherwise posted), and anyone over the age of 16 needs a fishing license.
Have a great trip.
Jun 2nd, 2010, 07:06 PM
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
thanks for your encouragement. I have changed things up a little and think this will work better:
Saturday drive to Grand Junction, go to the Col Nat Monument
Sunday-leave for Moab and go straight to Arches, night in Moab
Monday-hike Arches NP, night in Moab
Tuesday -swim at the local swimming hole, leave for Mesa
Verde, might drive to Needles, arrive in time for sunset stay in Mesa Verde
Wed-tour Mesa Verde, night in Mesa Verde
Thursday-leave in the morning for Colorado Springs-long day,
stop in Durango and check out fish hatchery, maybe stop in Pagosa Springs, stay in Colorado Springs
Friday-raft trip, royal gorge,
Saturday-leave CS for Denver, stop by Pikes Peak (how long will Pikes Peak take-just a drive by?) we have an afternoon flight
We gave up Durango but I think we will enjoy Moab. Not your typical Co trip.
Saturday drive to Grand Junction, go to the Col Nat Monument
Sunday-leave for Moab and go straight to Arches, night in Moab
Monday-hike Arches NP, night in Moab
Tuesday -swim at the local swimming hole, leave for Mesa
Verde, might drive to Needles, arrive in time for sunset stay in Mesa Verde
Wed-tour Mesa Verde, night in Mesa Verde
Thursday-leave in the morning for Colorado Springs-long day,
stop in Durango and check out fish hatchery, maybe stop in Pagosa Springs, stay in Colorado Springs
Friday-raft trip, royal gorge,
Saturday-leave CS for Denver, stop by Pikes Peak (how long will Pikes Peak take-just a drive by?) we have an afternoon flight
We gave up Durango but I think we will enjoy Moab. Not your typical Co trip.
Jun 3rd, 2010, 03:52 AM
#18
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,876
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sounds interesting, but sort of a "back door" Colorado. I will observe to you that although your husband has "been to Colorado 8 times to ski), that is not "seeing Colorado". Be sure to go back for more some day.
Mesa VErde is probably one of the wonders of the world to me--just stunning and fascinating.
Mesa VErde is probably one of the wonders of the world to me--just stunning and fascinating.
Jun 3rd, 2010, 04:32 AM
#19
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 5,904
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
smom,
Your trip sounds like a combination of trips that we have taken over the years, click my name to find the trip reports with links to pictures if you want information on some of the drive. We took 160 from Mesa Verde to Pueblo (a bit south of Colorado Springs).
If you don't have a National Park pass, it might pay to get one at your first stop, Colorado Monument I guess. It lets you and anyone in your car into all the National parks and monuments and BLM areas for free for a year.
If you don't have reservations at Mesa Verde yet, get them asap. The road in was under construction when we were there in early May, hopefully it will be done when you go, but check the web site for updates on that. If not it will add to the time in to the park. Do take the
The trip from Grand Junction to Arches should take less than two hours so you should have time to do the auto stops there. I would expect it to be quite warm when you are in Arches, but grab the water and at least do the hike to Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch.
If you leave Grand Junction early enough, you might want to take a couple of hours to do a quick drive through Canyonlands Island in the Sky area while the sun is high enough to make hiking in Arches uncomfortable. It is a few miles north of the entrance to Arches and takes about a half hour from 191 to get to the park, an hour to get some great views in the park and then back to 191 to Arches for some afternoon and sunset hiking and viewing. Pick up water, snacks and lunch in Grand Junction as there is not much in the parks (plenty in Moab but that is south of the parks). We often pick up a small cheap cooler at a wallmart or quicky mart at the start of the trip and "donate" it to someone who is picking up a car when we do the return.
Sounds like a great trip.
Your trip sounds like a combination of trips that we have taken over the years, click my name to find the trip reports with links to pictures if you want information on some of the drive. We took 160 from Mesa Verde to Pueblo (a bit south of Colorado Springs).
If you don't have a National Park pass, it might pay to get one at your first stop, Colorado Monument I guess. It lets you and anyone in your car into all the National parks and monuments and BLM areas for free for a year.
If you don't have reservations at Mesa Verde yet, get them asap. The road in was under construction when we were there in early May, hopefully it will be done when you go, but check the web site for updates on that. If not it will add to the time in to the park. Do take the
The trip from Grand Junction to Arches should take less than two hours so you should have time to do the auto stops there. I would expect it to be quite warm when you are in Arches, but grab the water and at least do the hike to Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch.
If you leave Grand Junction early enough, you might want to take a couple of hours to do a quick drive through Canyonlands Island in the Sky area while the sun is high enough to make hiking in Arches uncomfortable. It is a few miles north of the entrance to Arches and takes about a half hour from 191 to get to the park, an hour to get some great views in the park and then back to 191 to Arches for some afternoon and sunset hiking and viewing. Pick up water, snacks and lunch in Grand Junction as there is not much in the parks (plenty in Moab but that is south of the parks). We often pick up a small cheap cooler at a wallmart or quicky mart at the start of the trip and "donate" it to someone who is picking up a car when we do the return.
Sounds like a great trip.
Jun 3rd, 2010, 07:25 PM
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the advice. Do you think we have enough time to Canyonlands Island in the sky. I just didn't think we could fit it in..4 hour side trip?
Any suggestions for dinner in Grand Junction? Plan on cooking in when we are in Moab. And we do have reservation in Mesa Verde.
Any suggestions for dinner in Grand Junction? Plan on cooking in when we are in Moab. And we do have reservation in Mesa Verde.
