Rocky Mountain National Park and the Colorado Plateau

1.5 HOURS – 72 MILES/115 KM

Estes Park is a quintessential Colorado Mountain town with stunning views of Rocky Mountain National Park, which it borders. Spend some time in Estes Park itself, visiting the City Center and the river walk along the Big Thompson River. Estes Park is full of festivals in the summer, so plan your trip accordingly. Later, hop back in your car for a tour through Rocky Mountain National Park and the surrounding Arapahoe National Forest. Driving through the park will give you views of the majestic Rocky Mountains, tumbling streams and towering ponderosa pines. If you’re able, we recommend going on a long hike in the park to one of the many alpine lakes. Plan on spending a night in Estes Park before continuing on. There are many options (you can never go wrong with camping), but for a more comfortable experience, we recommend Nicky’s Resort or The Stanley Hotel.

2.5 HOURS – 107 MILES/172 KM

After exploring the park, you’ll head southwest and go for a scenic tour through the Arapahoe National Forest to a pair of towns on a lake. Dillon and Silverthorne sit next to Dillion Reservoir, surrounded by beautiful mountains. This area is going to be your base to explore some of the most famous resorts in the world, as they are within striking distance of world-famous towns like Breckenridge, Vail, Copper Mountain and Keystone. But first, spend some time getting to know Dillon and Silverthorne. In their own right, they are fantastic mountain destinations, lake destinations, fishing destinations, and music destinations! In fact there is so much to do in this area, that you may want to seriously consider a few days here before looking anywhere else on the map.

1.5 HOURS – 90 MILES/145KM

The road to Glenwood Springs can either be a short direct route (taking about an hour), or a longer, much more scenic route through Leadville, over Independence Pass and through Aspen. It is up to you, but both routes have their benefits. If you want to take advantage of all the fun things there are to do in Glenwood Springs, then take the more direct route. If you want to stand on the Continental Divide at 12,000 feet and get a great view of Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks, then take the pass. This route, at 3 hours, will still give you plenty of time in Glenwood Springs, or allow you to roam the streets of Aspens if you so desire. If you do take the Aspen route, take time to see the majestic Maroon Bells, and afterward grab a bite to eat at the White House Tavern. Regardless of when you arrive in Glenwood Springs, your first stop should be to the Visitor’s Center. They can help you on your visit, and even tell you where notorious gunslingin’ lawman, Doc Holiday, is buried. 

1.5 HOURS – 87 MILES/140 KM

From Glenwood Springs, it’s a very short drive into Grand Junction. Which means you will have plenty of time to explore the wonders of Colorado National Monument. This is an area of desert high land on the Colorado Plateau, with pinion and juniper forests. Sheer-walled canyons cut deep into sandstone and granite–gneiss–schist rock formations. The park hosts a wide range of wildlife, including red-tailed hawks, golden eagles, ravens, jays, desert bighorn sheep, and coyotes. Nearby are the Book Cliffs and the largest flat-topped mountain in the world, the Grand Mesa. Before you head off, however, you need to make two stops in Glenwood Springs. The first is to Jilbertitos to get the best breakfast burrito on the plateau, and the second is to Deja Brew to get your morning coffee fix. Then, it’s time to lace up your hiking boots.

1.5 HOURS – 88 MILES/141 KM

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is one of the most underrated national parks in the US, which makes it a great place to enjoy solitude. First we recommend finding a place to stay.

Both Delta and Montrose are within striking distance to the Black Canyon, and both are great towns that are each worth a visit. If you choose Delta, a great place to stay would be the Riverwood Inn—it’s right along the river. If Montrose is your huckleberry, a great little overnight is the Black Canyon Motel. Grab a steak at Ted Nelson’s Steakhouse. When you get to the Black Canyon, you can make the day as strenuous or as moderate as you choose, but the first place you should stop at is the South Rim Visitor Center to get you acquainted with park. 

1.5 HOURS – 75 MILES/120 KM

To hit the next stop on the itinerary you’ll want to head toward Ridgeway, then keep going toward Ouray. Walking around this small town you’ll feel like you’re in Switzerland, with beautiful snow-capped mountain peaks. Ouray also has amazing hot springs. There is one brewery that is famous for its “Ouray Beer.” Keep heading south and take the famous Million Dollar Highway, a narrow and steep mountain road that connects Ouray with Silverton. It is one of the most scenic mountain roads in North America, with great views into the majestic San Juan Mountain range. When in Silverton, take a quick walk throughout the mining town and explore an old western town that is still connected via the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. When arriving in Durango, enjoy the downtown area and experience the Old West by staying overnight at the Strater Hotel.

2.5 HOURS – 118 MILES/189 KM

Next you are going to see the amazing Canyon of The Ancients. The monument contains the highest known archaeological site density in the United States, with rich, well-preserved evidence of native cultures. Before you head here, we would recommend finding a place to stay in Cortez for the night. There are a number of great options, but the Retro Inn is just the about the coolest place to stay in the four-corners region. From Cortez, it’s a short drive to the monument, and you should plan to spend most of your day there, as there is a number of things to see. This cultural landscape contains more than 6,355 recorded sites that reflect all the physical components of past human life: villages, field houses, dams, reservoirs, great kivas, cliff dwellings, shrines, sacred springs, agricultural fields, petroglyphs and sweat lodges. Some areas have more than 100 sites per square mile—so don’t forget your camera! After getting your fill, head back to Cortez and check out The Farm Bistro for dinner. 

3.5 HOURS – 174 MILES/280 KM

From Cortez, you will head back through Durango to the little western town of South Fork. First, you should get some coffee—and Fahrenheit Coffee Roasters in Cortez has some of the best. As you work your way along Highway 160, you’ll be driving through some of the most quintessential Colorado Plateau landscape. Upon entering the town of South Fork, nestled on the banks of the Rio Grande, you will notice one thing: this is an outdoorsy town. There are a lot of things to do here, both inside the city limits and in the surrounding mountains, so perhaps your best stop will first be the South Fork Visitor’s Center. From here you can get all the info you need to make the most of this charming Colorado mountain town. As always, there are a number of places to stay in South Fork, but the Foothills Lodge and Cabins is be our #1 pick.

1 HOUR – 48 MILES/77 MILES

This may seem like a very short driving day, but with good reason. After the short drive, your day will be spent traversing the enormous sand dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park. In order to get to the sand dunes you will pass through Alamosa, which will give you a chance to find a place to stay and drop off your gear. Our recommendation would be to get a room at the Alamosa Inn. From Alamosa, it’s a 40-minute drive to the park. One not-to-be missed experience in the park is to take a ride down the dunes. It’s called sandboarding or sand sledding, and there are a number of places you can rent boards and sleds from. Kristi Mountain Sports in Alamosa is one local place to rent from and they’ll give you all the advice you need.

3 HOURS –  165 MILES/265

Colorado Springs is a beautiful city just south of Denver. The town is nestled near the base of Cheyenne Mountain and Pikes Peak, which the highest summit in the southern Front Range. Colorado Springs is also known for the Garden of the Gods—a geological wonder that resembles dinosaur backs coming out of the ground. You don’t want to leave town before at least taking a stroll through the park. Since Colorado Springs will be your last stop before hitting the big city of Denver, we recommend that you take a float down some rapids, if you haven’t done so already. The Royal Gorge on the Arkansas River is just the place to do this. There are many outfitters waiting to take you down the river, but Raft Masters is among the best. Don’t feel like rafting? That’s okay, there are numerous other activities for your stay in Colorado Springs.

1.5 HOURS – 70 MILES/112 KM

Exchange your country boots for your city shoes because you are now in the Mile High City. Denver is known for its foodie paradise, vibrant neighborhoods, music scene, thriving beer culture, amazing art and sporting life. During your visit you may hear many expressions such as LoDo, SoDo, RiNo and many more. That is because Denver is broken up into ten different neighborhoods. So whatever you are looking for during your vacation, you will find it within one of the neighborhoods, each with its own unique style and flair.

Haven for Art Lovers:

THE ART DISTRICT ON SANTA FE

Shopper’s Paradise:

CHERRY CREEK

Can’t miss it:

UNION STATION

Best place to find amazing food:

SOUTH PEARL STREET AND OLD SOUTH GAYLORD