Last Minute Change of Plans. Denver to Vail via RMNP?
 

We're overnighting in Denver Wed. July 8 and had planned to drive I-70 to Vail on Thursday. If we get an early start from Denver on Thursday, would it be at all feasible to drive through Boulder to Estes Park? Scanning a map, the best route from Estes Park seems to be 34 and then 40 back to I-70 at Dumont. How long would you estimate the drive would take from Boulder-Estes Park-Dumont? Or would you advise another route?

Appreciate the last-minute input from those knowledgable about this loop!

Just looked a little more closely at the map. Apparently 40 joins I-70 near Georgetown and not at Dumont.

It's a great drive. With stops though, it'll take you all day. The route you have planned will take you through really beautiful areas, including Estes Park, the town of Grand Lake, and Winter Park (they have alpine slides there if you have kids).

Thanks for your thoughtful replies. We're still not sure which route (I-70 or RMNP) we're going to take. The NP sounds spectacular, but I'm not sure if we want to make a whole day of it. If we don't go this way, we have good reason to return to Denver soon!

Betsy, you're going to be in Vail for a week right? If you want to take an extraordinary drive, go to Leadville and then on to Highway 82 to Aspen. You'll cross the Independence Pass and the views are unbelievable. You can continue the circle through Aspen, Snowmass, Glenwood Springs and then on Highway 70 through Glenwood Canyon back to Vail. If you did nothing but drive it would take between 4 and 5 hours. But if you stop in Aspen or Snowmass for lunch, shopping or a ride up the mountain on the gondola, you can make it an all day trip.

An even more spectacular drive that may take perhaps the better part of a day would be to drive north to RMNP, drive through the park on Trail Ridge Road and then drop back south to Silverthorne. You are only about a half hour from Vail at Silverthorne. If you are going to be in that area--definitely do this rather than the route 40. It will be a comparatively quick drive TO the Park, slow going through, and then quick exiting the Park.

I just did the drive a couple weeks ago - it took 3+ hrs from RMNP through Estes, Boulder, Golden up I-70 to Vail. The longest part was the slow 2 lane road from Estes to Boulder and through Boulder with its traffic.

It will take you a minimum of a couple hours in the park to drive through over Trail Ridge because you'll want to stop and take pics and again, its a two lane road through the park.

From the Grand Lake side through to Vail is a couple hours as well. Either way, you're looking at an all day trip.

The Leadville>Aspen via Independence Pass and back through Glenwood is a good suggestion for a day trip.