Husband and I are flying in and out of Denver in mid-June for a 12 day trip. We are active, in our early 60's, love beautiful mountains and lakes, love to go on moderate hikes, and appreciate native American sites. Also want to experience a bit of the "big city" (Denver) for balance.
Here's my initial itinerary. Would really appreciate all opinions and suggestions. Are we spending too much/not enough time in these destinations? Does Denver need 2 full days? Thank you in advance.
Day 1) Drive to Glenwood Springs. Hike to Hanging Lake
2) Glenwood Springs (hot springs)
3) Drive to Crested Butte. See Black Canyon of Gunnison.
4) Crested Butte
5) Crested Butte
6) drive to Ouray
7) Ouray
8) drive to Mesa Verde
9) Mesa Verde
10) drive Million Dollar Hwy from Durango to Silverton, back to Denver
11) Denver
12) Denver

Have you been to Colorado before.
Rocky mountain National Park?

I suppose you realize you need a permit for Hanging Lake?

https://visitglenwood.com/hanginglake/

I think you're smart to avoid RMNP. Plenty of beautiful places in CO without it and you've included some of my personal favorites (this from a CO resident).

FYI - have you booked accommodation yet? I recently looked at accommodation for random dates in Crested Butte and found many places were already booked, but perhaps it was a fluke based on where I was looking.

Expect CO to be very busy this year.

Personally, I think two days in Denver is two days too long, but I'm not into cities, so take that with a grain of salt. What do you hope to see/do while in Denver?

The Denver Art Museum has an outstanding native American exhibit ranging from the Northwest tribes to a wonderful Maria exhibit and video of her producing her pottery. Great dining in town. The Botanical Gardens are lovely. Go to REI and the nearby Savory Spice shop for a great array of spices and herbs. Shop on Pearl Street for eclectic items.
If going to Mesa Verde and especially for such a short time make reservations (immediately) at Far View Lodge.

Thank you Melnq8 and Gretchen.
Skipping RMNP this time as I know it'll be very crowded and we are going to focus on SW area this trip.
Thanks for advice about permit to Hanging Lake. Is it worth the effort? Also, thanks for heads up about reserving early - I'm already finding that to be true. Lodging seems impossible to find in Ouray for our dates. Would it be a feasible idea to stay in Ridgeway and drive into Ouray?
Thanks again.
Gretchen - I appreciate the Denver suggestions. Is Rocky Mountain Arsenal worth a good day trip from Denver?

Is it worth the effort?

I have no idea, I've never been and now that it's teetering on the edge of ruin due to it's immense popularity, I'll probably never find out.

It gets great reviews here though:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti..._Colorado.html

Keep in mind it was in the path of the Grizzly Creek Fire last year, but seems to have survived relatively unscathed. I believe it will re-open on May 1.

https://www.aspentimes.com/news/hang...cture-or-lake/

Yes, Ridgway is a great alternative to Ouray, and just a few minutes away. We often stay in Ouray and drive to Ridgway for breakfast.

According to Google, the most direct route from Ouray to Mesa Verde is via Silverton and Durango. The route given by Google to go from Mesa Verde to Denver by-passes Silverton and Ouray. You might want to consider it.

https://flic.kr/p/v58Wum