Colorado in Early April

[wandering]

1st and 2nd weeks of April... where would you meander in Colorado? I'm interested in nature, beauty, and potentially hiking if I can avoid muddy trails...

I've heard it's "mud-season" in April, so I'm aware I'm taking a risk in going... but I'm hoping there is a Colorado-Savvy expert in here that can point me in my most ideal direction.


Cheers,

 

[wandering]

I'm also interested in lodging recommendations. Secluded, quiet, solitude and silence are the top of my list. Comfortable setting but not luxurious.

 

[MRG]

1st and 2nd weeks of April... where would you meander in Colorado? I'm interested in nature, beauty, and potentially hiking if I can avoid muddy trails...

I've heard it's "mud-season" in April, so I'm aware I'm taking a risk in going... but I'm hoping there is a Colorado-Savvy expert in here that can point me in my most ideal direction.


Cheers,

June.

Don't mean to be flippant. April, May is hit or miss for mud(IMHO). If your schedule allows avoid holidays.

 

[REWahoo]

I'm hoping there is a Colorado-Savvy expert in here that can point me in my most ideal direction.

South, to Santa Fe or below...

 

[walkinwood]

April is early for hiking in the high mountains unless you like snow-shoeing. Most ski resorts will still be open. This hasn't been the snowiest of winters, but you're still looking at snow above 10,000 ft till sometime in May. That said, the foothills are wonderful to hike in at that time of the year. Get yourself a pair of micro-spikes because there may still be ice on the trails when they pass through thick forest or on northern slopes.

The southern areas may be better. Using Durango as a base, you could see Ouray and Telluride, visit Mesa Verde, go east to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. The Crested Butte area is beautiful, but its quite high up. We hiked there at the end of May one year and enjoyed it though we had stay low. Don't know what its like in April. If in that area, you could also check out the Black Canyon of Gunnison NP.

The eastern plains will be fine, but most people don't think of that when they think of Colorado. We haven't done much on the Western Slope of Colorado, but that could be an option.

The Santa Fe suggestion is sound. Or consider Utah near Moab.

 

[wandering]

walkinwood, REWahoo, MRG, thank you!

 

[Jimmie]

Welcome to Colorado! Hope you enjoy your trip. I've lived here 21 years and love it.

Agree with Walkinghood and recommendations. Lower elevations below 8000 ft will have snow until mid-to-late April. Southern Colorado is best bet. Pagosa Springs, South Fork/Creede, and Durango are other good places based on your criteria.

 

[Ronstar]

Great advice above. I went to Rocky Mountain National Park around April 1 a couple of years ago. Nice weather, great hiking but upper elevation trails were snow/icy. Trail Ridge Road was still closed with 3-4’ of snow. Wasn’t warm enough yet for trails to be muddy.

 

[COcheesehead]

We hike/travel all over Colorado. As others have said April in the high country is still snow season and snow storms are not uncommon - some can be big too. With that being said I would head to the Western Slope. The elevation is lower than most of the state and you are more likely to have warmer weather. The Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction is spectacular. https://www.nps.gov/colm/index.htm It is the Sedona of Colorado. Many, many hiking options. I would search YouTube for Grand Junction hikes. There are other options on the BLM lands all around the area.
Just to the east of Grand Junction is Palisade which is Colorado’s wine and fruit region. I think there are 24 wineries to explore and hiking options with petroglyphs nearby. http://www.gjhikes.com/2009/09/ute-petroglyph-trail.html There is also one of the few wild horse areas in US just outside of town. https://www.meetup.com/Humanists-Doing-Good/events/220375668/
There are all levels of hotels in Grand Junction. Check out the Grand Mesa when you are there. You’ll hit snow, but it is the world’s largest flattop mountain. Remote and beautiful. Maybe a day of snowshoeing there could be fun. https://www.visitgrandjunction.com/areas/grand-mesa

Good restaurants in GJ are Bin 707, 626 on Rood and Il Bistro Italiano.
Let me know if you have questions. We have been all over the state and to many places most folks never heard of. Lots and lots to see and do in Colorado.

 

[ivinsfan]

I would echo the Moab suggestion...Moab is one stop shopping for a 2 week trip national and state parks...lots of condos to rent..I could return to Moab again and again .

 

[Dawg52]

We hike/travel all over Colorado. As others have said April in the high country is still snow season and snow storms are not uncommon - some can be big too. With that being said I would head to the Western Slope. The elevation is lower than most of the state and you are more likely to have warmer weather. The Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction is spectacular. https://www.nps.gov/colm/index.htm It is the Sedona of Colorado. Many, many hiking options. I would search YouTube for Grand Junction hikes. There are other options on the BLM lands all around the area.
Just to the east of Grand Junction is Palisade which is Colorado’s wine and fruit region. I think there are 24 wineries to explore and hiking options with petroglyphs nearby. gjhikes.com: Ute Petroglyph/Palisade Rim Trail There is also one of the few wild horse areas in US just outside of town. https://www.meetup.com/Humanists-Doing-Good/events/220375668/
There are all levels of hotels in Grand Junction. Check out the Grand Mesa when you are there. You’ll hit snow, but it is the world’s largest flattop mountain. Remote and beautiful. Maybe a day of snowshoeing there could be fun. https://www.visitgrandjunction.com/areas/grand-mesa

Good restaurants in GJ are Bin 707, 626 on Rood and Il Bistro Italiano.
Let me know if you have questions. We have been all over the state and to many places most folks never heard of. Lots and lots to see and do in Colorado.

Good info. I'm tentatively planning a trip to CO during the summer to get a break from our southern humidity. I've been to the Vail area and temps are nice at that time. How hot is the GJ area during the summer? Googling avg temps it appears 90 degrees is not out of line but does it really feel that hot? I'm assuming humidity is low. I know I want to make a pass into Canyonlands while out that way. So just looking for ideas at this point. Plan to spend 2 weeks in the general area.

 

[COcheesehead]

I’ve hiked in GJ in summer. As long as you start early, you’re fine. Moab is lower so it gets really hot there in summer. 100’s are not out of question, but as in most of the west it is very dry. 90’s are comfortable and not sticky like the Midwest or South. Just bring plenty of water. You don’t really notice you’re sweating, but your body is still losing moisture. You just don’t see it as much on your skin.
Moab in Summer gets very crowded. Book early.

You may also enjoy a Telluride. My favorite town in the state. http://www.telluride-co.gov

 

[Hermit]

I have hiked in the Vail area at 95 degrees. It is hot, but not near unbearable. In the shade it is pleasant. Bring and drink lots of water. Dehydration is a major problem especially for people not used to the altitude.

 

[ivinsfan]

Good info. I'm tentatively planning a trip to CO during the summer to get a break from our southern humidity. I've been to the Vail area and temps are nice at that time. How hot is the GJ area during the summer? Googling avg temps it appears 90 degrees is not out of line but does it really feel that hot? I'm assuming humidity is low. I know I want to make a pass into Canyonlands while out that way. So just looking for ideas at this point. Plan to spend 2 weeks in the general area.

How do you feel about driving a bit longer. If you are doing Canyonlands and Grand Junction anyway, I'll throw in a pitch for trying Brian Head Utah. It's absolutely wonderful in the summer time. You'd drive right by Capitol Reef National Park, which is a must see. Cedar Breaks ....that drive been GJ and Cedar City is one of the most scenic anywhere. Not far from Bryce Canyon either. It's got a more hometown feel and quieter then Vail which has gotten so commercial and busy. Brian Head has some nice hotels and it will be off season so rates are pretty good. Also quite a few VRBOs to rent.

I need to get a job with the Utah Travel Bureau

 

[Dawg52]

How do you feel about driving a bit longer. If you are doing Canyonlands and Grand Junction anyway, I'll throw in a pitch for trying Brian Head Utah. It's absolutely wonderful in the summer time. You'd drive right by Capitol Reef National Park, which is a must see. Cedar Breaks ....that drive been GJ and Cedar City is one of the most scenic anywhere. Not far from Bryce Canyon either. It's got a more hometown feel and quieter then Vail which has gotten so commercial and busy. Brian Head has some nice hotels and it will be off season so rates are pretty good. Also quite a few VRBOs to rent.

I need to get a job with the Utah Travel Bureau

I will certainly take a look at this route. Thanks.

 

[MRG]

++

Dehydration is a big issue with the altitude. In addition to drinking lots of water be cautious about caffeine and alcohol as they can make dehydration worse.

+++
These great tourist locations do get busy during the season, book accordingly and bring extra patience.

 

[COcheesehead]

How do you feel about driving a bit longer. If you are doing Canyonlands and Grand Junction anyway, I'll throw in a pitch for trying Brian Head Utah. It's absolutely wonderful in the summer time. You'd drive right by Capitol Reef National Park, which is a must see. Cedar Breaks ....that drive been GJ and Cedar City is one of the most scenic anywhere. Not far from Bryce Canyon either. It's got a more hometown feel and quieter then Vail which has gotten so commercial and busy. Brian Head has some nice hotels and it will be off season so rates are pretty good. Also quite a few VRBOs to rent.

I need to get a job with the Utah Travel Bureau

Had Brian Head changed? I was there about 10 years ago. It didn’t seem like there was much there. I enjoyed Zion NP. Cedar Breaks unfortunately was closed the day we passed by. There was a slide or something that happened and they closed it. It was a year with big rains.

 

[Dawg52]

I have hiked in the Vail area at 95 degrees. It is hot, but not near unbearable. In the shade it is pleasant. Bring and drink lots of water. Dehydration is a major problem especially for people not used to the altitude.

I've played golf a couple of times in July. I remember one day being on the warm side by not horrible by any means. Wherever I end up going, I'll do a little hiking but no day long adventures. More likely 2-3 hours max.

 

[ivinsfan]

Had Brian Head changed? I was there about 10 years ago. It didn’t seem like there was much there. I enjoyed Zion NP. Cedar Breaks unfortunately was closed the day we passed by. There was a slide or something that happened and they closed it. It was a year with big rains.

It's much smaller then Vail, but if you like outdoor activity it's a good base...It's a matter of personal preference.

We stayed in Silverthorne last year and it was wall to wall people and the traffic was nasty. Brian Head is a good place to escape the heat. If you want lots of shopping or a ton of high end places to eat, you won't be happy there. Cedar Breaks is way cool.

 

[zinger1457]

Have found early September a good time to visit CO, good hiking/biking, less crowded then the summer months, and Oktoberfest activities on weekends (Beaver Creek, Vail, Breckenridge) that are lots of fun.

 

[COcheesehead]

I will certainly take a look at this route. Thanks.

A bit of trivia. The longest stretch of Interstate hwy in the US without services is on I-70 in eastern Utah. I think it’s 108 miles. It’s near the San Rafael Swell. Beautiful desert rockscapes.

 

[COcheesehead]

It's much smaller then Vail, but if you like outdoor activity it's a good base...It's a matter of personal preference.

We stayed in Silverthorne last year and it was wall to wall people and the traffic was nasty. Brian Head is a good place to escape the heat. If you want lots of shopping or a ton of high end places to eat, you won't be happy there. Cedar Breaks is way cool.

I would never tell anyone to go to Silverthorn/Breck or Summit County. That’s a very unattractive IMHO part of Colorado High Country. We avoid it or just pass through.

 

[ivinsfan]

I would never tell anyone to go to Silverthorn/Breck or Summit County. That’s a very unattractive IMHO part of Colorado High Country. We avoid it or just pass through.

It was a one night stop on our way home from of course... Utah. I didn't think it was ugly, just really crowded.

 

[ivinsfan]

A bit of trivia. The longest stretch of Interstate hwy in the US without services is on I-70 in eastern Utah. I think it’s 108 miles. It’s near the San Rafael Swell. Beautiful desert rockscapes.

Solitude at it's finest with jaw dropping views.......I think it might be posted at 80MPH, or it's 75 MPH....

 

[COcheesehead]

It was a one night stop on our way home from of course... Utah. I didn't think it was ugly, just really crowded.

By unattractive I mean crowded, overbuilt, beetle kill forests, busy highway corridor. There are so many incredibly beautiful parts of Colorado, but it requires a little bit of a drive off the major highways so most people don’t take the time to visit them. One of the prettiest drives in the state is just east of the Utah border along the Delores River. We saw maybe 2 cars and a motorcyclist in the hour or so it took to drive the canyon up to Gateway. There is also a cool car museum in Gateway owned by the guy who started the Discovery Channel. Classic Cars at The Gateway Colorado Auto Museum