Scenic Drive: Colorado Springs to Aspen
May 11th, 2011, 09:14 AM
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Scenic Drive: Colorado Springs to Aspen
What is the most scenic route between Colorado Springs and Aspen? We like scenic drives, and we are not in a rush.
We are considering Colorado Springs, Canon City, Salida, Buena Vista, Aspen.
Is there a better way to go?
HTTY
We are considering Colorado Springs, Canon City, Salida, Buena Vista, Aspen.
Is there a better way to go?
HTTY
May 11th, 2011, 08:17 PM
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Not sure what you mean by worthwhile. Leadville is an old mining town. Highest town in CO at 10,000. There is a great 12 mile hiking/biking loop - Mineral Loop Trail - that is like an outdoor museum. Colorado is full of these little area with varying degrees of interest. Further northwest out of Leadville towards Midturm is camp Hale where the 10th Mountain Div trained. Not sure where you are going after Aspen. Glenwood Canyon just east of Glenwood Springs is one of the prettiest areas in the state.
May 11th, 2011, 08:27 PM
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If you have the time, the ride down Hwy 119 to Canon City and then Hwy 50 west to Salida has its merits. I love driving on roads that hug riverbanks through the mountains,
- Hwy 14 along the Cache la Poudre River between Fort Collins and Cameron Pass.
- Eagle County Road 301 (The Colorado River Road) along the Colorado River between McCoy and Dotsero.
- I-70 along the Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon between Dotsero and Glenwood Springs.
- Fryingpan Road along the Fryingpan River between Basalt and Ruedi Reservoir.
- Colorado Hwy 141 along the Dolores River between Gateway and Uravan.
- Colorado Hwy 145 along the San Miguel River between Telluride and Norwood.
Yet, second to none of these is the stretch of Hwy 50 you'd be on between Parkdale and Salida along the Arkansas River. It's where the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude have dreams of temporarily stretching 42 miles of silver luminous fabric "Over the River" ( http://www.overtheriverinfo.com/ ).
Entering Salida look to the west-northwest for 14229 ft Mt. Shavano and the Angel of Shavano on its flank:
http://www.rexheadd.com/colorado/14e...vano/trip.html
or
http://stevegarufi.com/angel-of-shavano.htm
Head north out of Salida on Colorado Hwy 291, or go west a little further on Hwy 50 to Poncha Springs and then north on Hwy 285 to Buena Vista. The mountain range that to the west that you are paralleling is the Collegiate Peaks Range, home to numerous peaks over 14,000 feet high and named after some of the more prominent ones Mt. Yale, Mt Harvard, Mt. Princeton, and Mt. Columbia. Keep looking for that angel.
- Hwy 14 along the Cache la Poudre River between Fort Collins and Cameron Pass.
- Eagle County Road 301 (The Colorado River Road) along the Colorado River between McCoy and Dotsero.
- I-70 along the Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon between Dotsero and Glenwood Springs.
- Fryingpan Road along the Fryingpan River between Basalt and Ruedi Reservoir.
- Colorado Hwy 141 along the Dolores River between Gateway and Uravan.
- Colorado Hwy 145 along the San Miguel River between Telluride and Norwood.
Yet, second to none of these is the stretch of Hwy 50 you'd be on between Parkdale and Salida along the Arkansas River. It's where the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude have dreams of temporarily stretching 42 miles of silver luminous fabric "Over the River" ( http://www.overtheriverinfo.com/ ).
Entering Salida look to the west-northwest for 14229 ft Mt. Shavano and the Angel of Shavano on its flank:
http://www.rexheadd.com/colorado/14e...vano/trip.html
or
http://stevegarufi.com/angel-of-shavano.htm
Head north out of Salida on Colorado Hwy 291, or go west a little further on Hwy 50 to Poncha Springs and then north on Hwy 285 to Buena Vista. The mountain range that to the west that you are paralleling is the Collegiate Peaks Range, home to numerous peaks over 14,000 feet high and named after some of the more prominent ones Mt. Yale, Mt Harvard, Mt. Princeton, and Mt. Columbia. Keep looking for that angel.
May 11th, 2011, 08:35 PM
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We were in Glenwood Springs a couple years ago and loved it, but we didn't get to or know about Gleenwood Canyon. Does I-70 go through it?
After Aspen we plan to drive to Telluride via Hotchkiss because we have never driven that way.
HTTY
After Aspen we plan to drive to Telluride via Hotchkiss because we have never driven that way.
HTTY
May 12th, 2011, 01:45 AM
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On Rte 24 west of Colorado springs the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is a very interesting stop.
The drive along the Arkansas River with the Collegiate peaks north of Buena Vista is beautiful. We stayed at the Mt. Princeton hot springs resort a little south of Buena Vista one night last May. I believe you can visit just the hot springs there.
The drive along the Arkansas River with the Collegiate peaks north of Buena Vista is beautiful. We stayed at the Mt. Princeton hot springs resort a little south of Buena Vista one night last May. I believe you can visit just the hot springs there.
May 12th, 2011, 05:04 AM
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Sorry you missed I70 through Glennwood Canyon!! you'll want to stop and look at the visitor's center there for a good exhibit about building it.
We haven't been to Deckers since the bad fire, but even before that, there isn't much there there--except terrific trout fishing.
We haven't been to Deckers since the bad fire, but even before that, there isn't much there there--except terrific trout fishing.
May 12th, 2011, 08:57 PM
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OK... first things first - I have to correct myself. The mountain range that parallels U.S. Hwy 24 between Johnsons Corner and Leadville is not the Collegiate Peaks Range. It is the Sawatch Range, but Mts. Princeton, Yale, Harvard, and Columbia are collectively know as the Collegiate Peaks.
Sidetrips:
Between Salida and Johnsons Corner, just south of the little hamlet of Nathrop, turn west on County Road 162 and follow it past the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs and up between the hulking slopes of Mt. Antero and Mt. Princeton to the ghost town of St. Elmo. The road is mostly hard-packed dirt if I remember correctly, but it's nicely graded and easy schmeesy in a passenger car.... heck I did it in a 26 foot class C RV once. Don't consider continuing past St. Elmo to the top of the continental divide at Tincup Pass in anything but a high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicle though.
You'll be hopping over the continental divide when you take Hwy 82 over Independence Pass between Twin Lakes and Aspen, but if you have the time you may want to consider another side trip to the top and back. In Buena Vista, turn west at the only downtown stoplight onto W. Main Street (County Road 306) and follow that up between Mt. Princeton and Mt. Yale to the top of the continental divide at Cottonwood Pass. This is another easy, well-maintained dirt road. Most years Cottonwood Pass is bursting with wildflowers in late July and August. Turn around at the top and head back to Buena Vista and head north on Hwy 24 to Twin Lakes and Hwy 82. If you continue down over the west side of Cottonwood Pass you'll end up in Gunnison - way out of your way.
If you're heading to Telluride via Hotchkiss, I assune that means you're taking Hwy 133 from Carbondale and over McClure Pass which includes another nice ride along a river as you follow the Crystal River between Carbondale and the east base of McClure Pass. The hamlet of Redstone lies along the Crystal River and might be worth a stop. It was built by a 19th century coal baron. At the insistence of his wife, he built individual cottages for his married workers, and a large dorm for the unmarried ones. Today the individual cottages are mostly quaint arts and crafts shops, and the dorm is the very nice Redstone Hotel. Just up the road is the coal barons house - the Redstone Castle.
Just east of the east base of McClure Pass is the quaint little burg of Marble - noted primarily for the nearby mountain made almost completely of.....marble. The stone here is of such high quality that some of it was used in the construction of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC; as well as the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Natl. Cemetery.
Sidetrips:
Between Salida and Johnsons Corner, just south of the little hamlet of Nathrop, turn west on County Road 162 and follow it past the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs and up between the hulking slopes of Mt. Antero and Mt. Princeton to the ghost town of St. Elmo. The road is mostly hard-packed dirt if I remember correctly, but it's nicely graded and easy schmeesy in a passenger car.... heck I did it in a 26 foot class C RV once. Don't consider continuing past St. Elmo to the top of the continental divide at Tincup Pass in anything but a high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicle though.
You'll be hopping over the continental divide when you take Hwy 82 over Independence Pass between Twin Lakes and Aspen, but if you have the time you may want to consider another side trip to the top and back. In Buena Vista, turn west at the only downtown stoplight onto W. Main Street (County Road 306) and follow that up between Mt. Princeton and Mt. Yale to the top of the continental divide at Cottonwood Pass. This is another easy, well-maintained dirt road. Most years Cottonwood Pass is bursting with wildflowers in late July and August. Turn around at the top and head back to Buena Vista and head north on Hwy 24 to Twin Lakes and Hwy 82. If you continue down over the west side of Cottonwood Pass you'll end up in Gunnison - way out of your way.
If you're heading to Telluride via Hotchkiss, I assune that means you're taking Hwy 133 from Carbondale and over McClure Pass which includes another nice ride along a river as you follow the Crystal River between Carbondale and the east base of McClure Pass. The hamlet of Redstone lies along the Crystal River and might be worth a stop. It was built by a 19th century coal baron. At the insistence of his wife, he built individual cottages for his married workers, and a large dorm for the unmarried ones. Today the individual cottages are mostly quaint arts and crafts shops, and the dorm is the very nice Redstone Hotel. Just up the road is the coal barons house - the Redstone Castle.
Just east of the east base of McClure Pass is the quaint little burg of Marble - noted primarily for the nearby mountain made almost completely of.....marble. The stone here is of such high quality that some of it was used in the construction of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC; as well as the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Natl. Cemetery.
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