First off, are there any must-see stops to make along the drive from Denver to Crested Butte (mostly interested in unique geology or scenery)? If so, how much time is needed for full drive and how much to allot for any stops? What is best driving route?

Second, are there any worthwhile day trips from Crested Butte to National Parks, Monuments, etc. The Sand Dunes look interesting, but I think it's too far. How close is the Rocky Mountain National Park?

Thanks in advance for suggestions. Trying to make the most of my weekend away in CO for a wedding!

The drive from Denver to Crested Butte is long, if this is just a weekend trip you would be much better flying into Gunnison. We've driven to Crested Butte many, many times, but never from Denver, always from Oklahoma. The drive along highway 50 is rather scenic near Salida it follows the river. We've seen lots of wildlife along this route, eagles in the winter and mountain goats and curly horned sheep in the summer. The only National Park that I can think of near Crested Butte is the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. All of the area is beautiful. If you have to drive from Denver and return to Denver, I would used my time in Crested Butte to relax and enjoy. They have a weekend arts festival around this time of year, I think the wild flower festival is earlier in the summer. Many great restaruants in Crested Butte.

The drive from Denver to Crested Butte is 4 hours. It's kind of in a weird spot for other sightseeing.

You would be better off hitting RMNP from Denver first (it's about a two hour drive in the opposite direction of Crested Butte from Denver), staying a night or two, then spend the day to get to Crested Butte. They are far apart.

Depending on the time you have while in Crested Butte, you could probably make it to Ouray (beautiful), Black Canyon and maybe Mesa Verde.

jelliott17 - how many days do you have? If you only have 2 or 3, I would also recommend going to RMNP b/c it is much closer to Denver, but I would skip Crested Butte. There is a lot to see and do in RMNP and Estes Park, some great places to stay and great hiking. If you are set on Crested Butte, then I would skip RMNP. That is a lot to fit into two or three days as it would be a LOT of driving. From Crested Butte, you could make Black Canyon (especially if you like geology). It would be very difficult to make it to Ouray and Mesa Verde (although they are wonderful) unless you have at least 4 or 5 days. Hope you enjoy your trip!

I've sorted things out - thanks for suggestions. Unfortunately, I can't skip Crested Butte - that's where the wedding is and it sounds like a charming town at any rate. I decided to opt for a balloon ride as a way to take in the mountains. Not really much time to do anything else - I really only have 8 or so free hours on Sat. and the rest of my time is filled with wedding activities.

Hey jelliott - if you are in Crested Butte this coming Saturday (July 31st) come to the Art Festival right in downtown CB. I am a glass artist and will be at the show. I understand it's a very nice event - my first time there.

We have lived in Colorado since 1970. You will like Crested Butte. It's a nice small town, surrounded by beautiful mountains, with good fly fishing and hiking and other outdoor activities, gorgeous scenery all around. It's a pretty drive from Denver (although I think it's more like 5 hours), and a relatively easy drive. Gunnison is an authentic Colorado ranch community, with a college flavor, too. It's on your way to Crested Butte, just about 45 minutes from your destination. You will be seeing country as pretty as Estes Park and RMNP, so don't feel you're missing out by skipping that part of the state. There's only so much sightseeing you can do! If you wanted to go further, you could drive on to Ouray or Telluride for more mountain scenery. (I think Telluride might be another 3 or 4 hours from Gunnison, though.)

I forgot to mention that Crested Butte is very close "as the crow flies" to Aspen. The Maroon Bells-- beautiful, distinctive mountain peaks--separate the two resort areas. I don't know if there's a road open in the summer that would take you to Aspen, but it's worth looking into. At the least, the Maroon Bells area is great for hiking and fishing. In any event, you will find plenty to do near Crested Butte. No need to drive far.