Help with seeing Rocky Mountain National Park
 

My wife and I (mid-40s, leaving the kids home) are spending four nights in Breckenridge in early October. Haven't been out that way in 25 years, so I need a bit of a refresher on Rocky Mountain National Park. Was thinking about doing the loop from Breck to Frisco, I-70 to 119 to Boulder, and then to Estes Park, Grand Lake and Granby. We'll do our hiking, running and biking in Breck, so this is just a sightseeing day trip. Obviously we will need to get an early start. Is this the best way to see the park? Should we do the route in reverse? What are some interesting places to stop and see along the way?

We were in RMNP September 8 and 9. The mountains were buried in rain and clouds the first day and fog the second.

Some of our favorite drives near Breckenridge are Loveland Pass and Lookout Mountain, just outside Central City.

Nederland is an interesting little town on the Peak to Peak Highway.

My routing would be Breckenridge, Loveland Pass, Central City (Lookout Mountain), Nederland, Estes Park, Grand Lake, Grandy, and back to Breckenridge. (I would go counter-clockwise because the Peak to Peak Highway gives good views of the Rockies driving north.)

That's a pretty full day of driving and roads covered in snow and mountains hidden in clouds or fog are possible.

HTtY

I took the Central City-Nederland-Estes Park route and loved it.

I didn't get to Granby because the pass was closed by snow.

Are you going to be returning to Breckenridge after driving to the park? I'm not sure that makes sense. It would be a lot of driving.

But, if you really want to do it in a day, I'd cut out Boulder. Drive Breckenridge along the Blue River (a pretty drive, with very little traffic), to Kremmling, to Granby, to Grand Lake, and over Trail Ridge Road to RMNP. Then return the same way.

Problem is the weather is unpredictable. It's possible you could find Trail Ridge road closed by a freak storm. If so, you could enjoy Grand Lake.

Or you could return to Granby, go to Winter Park, over Berthoud Pass, and return to Breckenridge via I-70. It will be dark by then, and 70 should be faster, though not as scenic.

We will take Happy Trail's recommendation and go through Central City and Nederland, then up to Estes and to Granby and back down to Breck. Fingers crossed that the weather cooperates. Any out of the way places we should stop, you know the stuff they don't tell you about in the books?

Via Loveland Pass? That's a tough one. Not sure why it's recommended. Central City and Nederland aren't much to see, either.

Tabernash2 on Sep 23, 14 at 12:50pm:

"Central City and Nederland aren't much to see, either."

Depends on where you are from and where else you have been.

The Central City-Nederland-Estes Park route is the Peak to Peak Highway.

http://www.coloradodot.info/travel/s...l/peak-to-peak

The Central City-Nederland-Estes Park route is the Peak to Peak Highway.

http://www.coloradodot.info/travel/s...l/peak-to-peak

"Depends on where you are from and where else you have been."

Sure, but it also depends on other options you have when you're visiting someplace.
I would definitely skip Loveland Pass.
And I'd avoid as much of I-70 as possible.

"And I'd avoid as much of I-70 as possible."

We agree on this, though it may have the best scenery of any interstate in the US.

True, but it gets crammed with cars during peak viewing weekends. Or ski season. Or summer vacation. . ..

So I think what we'll do is take I-70 to the Peak to Peak Highway to Estes Park. Sounds like we can avoid the pit stop to Boulder. Then we'll wind around to Granby and Kremmling and back down to Frisco. I know this is a long day of driving, and I'm hoping Mother Nature cooperates. Like I said, we've not been out this way in 25 years, so any view from any angle will be spectacular to us.

<i>Via Loveland Pass? That's a tough one. Not sure why it's recommended. </i>

Because it's beautiful.

HTtY

Opinions on social media are sure to be challenged--Miss Manners, September 18, 2014

It may be beautiful, but this is a long day of driving, and that adds a fair bit of time. If weather is bad, it will be white knuckle time.

ALL of Colorado is beautiful, but how much can you see in one day?

<i>ALL of Colorado is beautiful.</i>

Oh!

Be aware that Trail Ridge road may be closed during early October depending on weather conditions. Average date of permanent winter closure is around the second week of October.

I think we have to assume they made it through!!

I am sure they made it and are safely home.