Pondering N/E/S/W around Denver in April
 

We are taking a family trip to Denver March 28 and I haven’t been since I was 18, so need some guidance.

We will be there six days and would rent a car to see as much natural beauty as possible. Is it still snowy and more difficult to get around the Grand Canyon in early April? We’d like to concentrate on an area or two that’s within a 3-hour radius of Denver. Which areas are best with a six and nine year old? I like wineries, bodies of water, little-known points of interest, hiking and no camping/roughing it. I would like to include parts of the Grand Canyon on this trip. Thank you.

Parts of THE Grand Canyon are 680+ miles from Denver or are you speaking of a different one?

Must be the Gunnison.
It will be prime spring break ski season!!
Four hours will get you to Glenwood Springs. You would want that for the hot springs and the exhibit about building the highway through the canyon.
For your children I HIGHLY recommend you to to Woodland Park, just outside CO Springs and see the excellent dinosaur museum there. Also, just on the outskirts of Denver off 470 there is Dinosaur Ridge that is a good exhibit.
Hiking will be difficult unless it is snowshoeing.
Are you talking about making these all day trips from Denver?
And you really ARE confusing with the Grand Canyon references.
Denver has a wonderful natural history museum and zoo.
There is a very nice butterfly pavilion in Westminster, just outside Denver on the way to Boulder--where you might be able to do some hiking. In Boulder there is also the Celestial Seaoning plant with is a fun tour for children and adults.

Need a little clarity on your plans.

1. Are you staying in Denver for six days?

2. Have absolutely no idea what your are referring to as Grand Canyon. THE Grand Canyon is about a two day drive from Denver. So lets clear that one up first.

3. End of March is still winter in the mountains. Could still have a lot of snow or less if we have an early and warm spring. Won't know till you get here. Except for some areas in the front range near Denver, hiking is out either because of mud from run off if warm or snow if cold.

4. We don't bodies of water around here. The mountain lakes will still have a lot ice.

5. There are a couple of wineries in Denver (goggle it) but the main wine country is just east of Grand Junction but close to five hours from Denver.

6. Now give us some hints about what you REALLY want to do.

Hi All, Oh my! I have been researching so many NPs...I meant the Rocky Mountains (not Grand Canyon).

Gretchen, No day trips from Denver, we want to stay in another location(s). Celestial Seasoning sounds interesting and good smelling.

fmpden, Flying into Denver Saturday and out of Denver Thursday, so we will only see Denver at bit when we land on Saturday and Wednesday afternoon & Thursday (we want to stay near airport the night before departure).

It seems like it will be icy when we're there. Hmmm. I REALLY wanted to hike, visit parks, see cowboys/a goldmine/a cave (have I been reading too much fiction?), travel to a lookout point, wine tasting, moose watching, and great indoor swimming for the kids.

It will not be icy on the roads, unless, of course, it is snowing. And snow is frequent in March since March is our snowiest month. March is also Spring skiing and the ski areas will be packed and at high season for lodging. But by the end of March should start to taper off. Do you not remember any of that from your time here?

The east side access to RMNP via Estes Park and Trail Ridge Road will be closed till at least Memorial Day weekend. And that is truth for a number of mountain pass such as Independence Pass into Aspen. Aspen is accessible via GlenWood Springs. RMNP is allow half accessible from the west side. The only hiking that might be available would be along the front range IF our winter snow was light and it has dried out. April into May tends to called the mud season for good reason.

The gold mine at Idaho Springs is open as is the Cowboy mine in Breckenridge. The outdoor hot springs in Glenwood Springs is terrific. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison will be open but it is beyond your three hour limit.

You probably need to rethink a little bit what your plans are so it they can be adjusted to the weather.

Where are you going from?

What time do you leave on Thursday?
Staying near the airport is staying in the boonies. Come back to Denver Wednesday and unless it is a really early flight, do a little sightseeing.
BUT allow a full two hours once you are inside the airport to go through security and get to your gate.

Gretchen

Depending on time of day that is excess. It rare for us to take more than 30 mins through security. Lines at checkin could be different and add some time.

Gretchen, 11am flight home on Thursday. Do you have a recommendation to stay in Denver. I don't have a concept of where Denver is compared to the airport.

fmpden, We are coming from Minneapolis, MN, so no stranger to snow. Darnit that the kids spring break is so early.

Does Idaho Springs begin the Rocky Mountains on 70? What is the front range? Can you give me town names? Is Brekenridge in the RMs? I'm unsure how large the RMs are.

When I was 18 my mom and I drove to Denver and I skied at Brekenridge. It's a distant memory now, 20+ years ago. I recall the station wagon not able to take the altitude very well and a state trooper pulled us over for going too slow.

I think I need one base that has varying day trips from. 70 seems like the main drag. Am I wrong?

Denver/Boulder is the front range.
Idaho Springs is "in" the mountains--there is the gold mine thing there.
If you are coming from Minnesota and your kids are the age they are, really think about the dinosaur aspect. We are in NC with a grand here and then 2 there in Denver and we did the Woodland Park tour. it is a very very good museum exhibit and also doing reconstruction of artifacts. It isn't large--can be done very adequately in a couple of hours--or more if you want.
I think your kids' ages are perfect, personally.
So, that is south. The Air Force Academy is also there.
I70 is the main drag. But please go south for this. Then head west==Idaho springs and the gold mine tour would be good.
Then on to Glenwood.
Come back to Boulder and then Denver.

We enjoyed this gold mine in Cripple Creek -http://www.goldminetours.com/goldminetours.com/Home.html

<i> I don't have a concept of where Denver is compared to the airport.</i>

Denver is west and a little south of the airport. It's about 30 minutes from downtown Denver (i.e., Five Points area/Pepsi Center - basically that range) to the airport if traffic doesn't suck. It's also about 15 minutes from the rental return point to the terminal if you're returning a rental car. We haven't had problems with security such that we'd recommend getting to the terminal at 9 for an 11 am flight.

<i> Is Brekenridge in the RMs?</i>

Yes.

We have had many times when the maze was basically overflowing. It moves well, but it does take time. And then the train ride, and walking to the furthest gate on concourse C!! Just our experience.

Gretchen, you have a lot of great tips. I will have to research those areas. What is in Glenwood?

starrs, the gold mine web site is very informative and looks to be a perfect excursion.

BigRuss, thanks for the geography. I do think we'd be more at ease with a hotel next to airport. We don't travel too often as a family.

Where would it be best to hike during the first week of April?

We'd like to stay at one hotel (minus the airport departure night). Is Idaho Springs a good location for day trips North, west and south?

Glenwood Springs has the hot springs, and just outside of it on I70 is a really neat exhibit telling how the highway was built through the canyon and cantilevered over the river.
I don't think Idaho Springs is good at all.
I think you need to decide what you are going to do and then probably have at least two places.
In the mountains, I would stay in Frisco, if you can, but as has been pointed out, this will be prime ski season. But give VRBO or motels a try.
I'd go to CO Springs for a night--go to Woodland Park.
Then strike out for the mountains

<i>I do think we'd be more at ease with a hotel next to airport. We don't travel too often as a family.</i>

I'm not sure this is a real option. If it is a real option, it is not a good one.

The airport is off Pena Blvd (named for former Denver mayor and Clinton Transportation Sec'y Federico Pena), which is a highway that leads off from I-70 into the nether regions of the plateau upon which the airport sits.

The airport is in the middle of nothing and THE road leading to it connects the nothing to I-70. Staying hard by the airport (if there are any hotels thisclose to it) would mean lack of dining options, a good distance from anything you want to see in or around Denver (all the action is west, north or south of the city) and having to slog into and through Denver, usually on I-70, which is designed for 1980 car capacity not 2013 capacity, to get where you want to go. Staying at the hotels near the I-70/Pena Blvd intersection still means traveling to Denver and through it to get anywhere interesting (I-25, the main N-S highway, is on the western side of the city).

Better to stay in town and deal with the hardship once than stay out in the boonies and deal with it daily.

They can stay at the airport hotel and get a shuttle the next morning. It is no longer without services. Our kids have done it--I would bid on Priceline for a cheap room.
And I wouldn't go out until "late". Turn in the car, go to bed, etc.
But again, what time do you leave that day?

RMNP is open year round, not sure why it was said that it won't be open til Memorial Day weekend. The upper part of Trail Ridge Road has a traditional opening date on that weekend, but the lower elevations of TRR and other park roads are always open (barring a couple closures due to flooding this fall). You won't really be able to hike, when I've gone that time of year the trails are pretty packed/icy so it isn't much fun. The scenery and wildlife sightings are still great though. One day for some sightseeing is about all I'd recommend in late March/early April.

If you decide to stay near the airport the last night, you could visit the wildlife refuge nearby for some short hikes if you have time. It's only open 6am to 6pm so that may not fit your schedule depending on when you get back into Denver. It's really close to the airport, 5-10 minute drive at most if I remember right.

http://www.fws.gov/refuge/rocky_mountain_arsenal/

With an 11 am flight, you aren't really going to have time to do much on the day you depart. I don't see any reason you shouldn't stay out by the airport on your last night.

Big Russ, when was the last time you were at DIA?

Mid-July.

If they want to stay at the hotel their LAST NIGHT, that works. If they're considering doing it the whole time that they're in Denver, that would suck.

OP said they were looking to stay near the airport the night before they fly out, and somewhere else the rest of the time.

They never said the whole time, of course. And with 11AM, that airport hotel does makes sense.

It has grown up a good bit since the first time we flew in the week DIA opened!! And Stapleton was about 2 miles from our son's house at that time!! We really had distance shock.
But there are plenty of things there now--on the way to turn in the rental car, if nothing else.

WhereAreWe, so we can explore the lower elevations of TRR, but no hiking unless we have boots with spikes. Haha. Is TRR a place to get out of the car once and awhile, explore nature and the views without hiking?

From all your suggestions I will research Frisco, Idaho Springs, and Colorado Springs to find a base for our day trips.

How does a hot springs operate? Does someone own it and you pay money to go in, like a public pool?

Yes, for the hot springs--big pool in the middle of Glenwood Springs.
TRR will not be open all the way through east to west but still pretty.
CO Springs will not do for day trips to the mountains westward. I suggested it ONLY for seeing the Air Force Academy and if you are doing the dinosaur thing.
Go to CO Springs for a night and day. Then head toward the mountains for the rest of your trip. Frisco would be a good base for a good part of the time, if you can find something there.
If you are going to Glenwood Springs, then continue on a bit to Aspen.
Have you taken a look at a good map of Colorado? The distances are not that great once you are in the mountains. For instance, even Aspen is only 4 hours from the airport/Denver.

Forget about Idaho Springs unless you're interested in the goldmine tour. There's little else there that merits a stop except for Starbuck's and Beau Jo's pizza. If you must, get off at the first exit and take main road through town getting back on I-70 at west end.

Yes there are places in RMNP where you can get out of the car and plenty of awe-inspiring views. If weather is nice, you might be able to take a short hike/walk, just don't count on it.