Colorado - Mid April to early May weather

[rodi]

I am seriously thinking of a visit to the great state of Colorado next year. It would make a nice road trip vacation. However, rather than Spring, I am now thinking of starting my visit as soon as the next school year starts - late August to early September.

Suggestions for places of interest are welcome. We enjoy nature, history, small town festivals, and such. I imagine we will spend a few days in Denver, but our focus will be the entire state.

I love Boulder, Telluride, and Estes Park on the East side.
Moab & Arches NP are awesome on the West side.

My brother lived in Denver, Aurora, and Fort Collins and is buried in Estes Park... so I've spent more time on the east side.

 

[RockyMtn]

Lived in Colorado for thirty years. Here is what I usually tell people to do....

Fly into Denver and proceed to Boulder, Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Breckenridge, Vail, Aspen, Telluride, Ouray, Silverton and end in Durango. Pretty much gives you the entire state. Stay a night or two in each location...or not. Probably need two weeks to see it all. You can fly out of Durango.

Enjoy

 

[zinger1457]

If you enjoy a cold brew and food Oktoberfest starts Labor Day weekend in the ski towns and rotates (with some overlap) the following weekends. I've been to Oktoberfest in Beaver Creek, Vail, Breckenridge, Copper Mtn., Steamboat Springs over the years, all a lot of fun. Covid put a damper on it the last couple years but hoping it will be back to normal next year.

 

[ivinsfan]

Well go to Youtube pull up a truck driver called Riding Shotgun. Today he did a video called 75" Dodge pickup that showed the Lizard Head Pass the colors and the ride itself were mind blowing...check it out..

 

[BlueberryPie]

April is often the snowiest month in the Denver area. Snow may melt overnight or in a day or two, but you should count on snow with some pleasant days in between.
The rocky Mountains through roads will likely be closed, at least some of the time.

 

[Chuckanut]

WOW! Such great suggestions. I may have to add another week to my trip!

 

[Chuckanut]

Any good scenic drives in Colorado besides those that go over the Rockies from East to West?

 

[ivinsfan]

Any good scenic drives in Colorado besides those that go over the Rockies from East to West?

Boy, did you just open up a can of worms..


Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP


Silverton


Ouray....


Just point your car toward NM and drive...


Riding shotgun often tapes videos in that area, I want to warn you sometimes he gets political..

 

[MRG]

Any good scenic drives in Colorado besides those that go over the Rockies from East to West?

Million dollar highway comes to mind. This time of year it's all lit up with foliage.
There's a lot of history in the SW corner. Mesa Verde and Chimney Rock are the most known but you can spend a lifetime in this area.

 

[RockyMtn]

There's a very scenic loop from Durango that goes to Telluride through Delores then down through Ouray and Silverton on the return to Durango.

 

[ivinsfan]

There's a very scenic loop from Durango that goes to Telluride through Delores then down through Ouray and Silverton on the return to Durango.

Chuckanut absolutely is a shotgun video on this drive...

 

[38Chevy454]

Any good scenic drives in Colorado besides those that go over the Rockies from East to West?

Hwy 50 from Pueblo, through Gunnison and into Montrose. Then head north up to Grand Junction and visit Colorado National Monument park. Visit some of the wineries around GJ, and if late summer get some of the peaches that are also grown in the area. You can take Hwy 139 north out of GJ to Dinosaur in NW corner of CO, where you pick up Hwy 40 to head east. Drive through Craig and Steamboat Springs, and then drop down and take Hwy 6 to come into back side of Golden. Quite a bit of mountain driving, and a lot of high elevation flatland in between. Or as alternate, take 50 back south out of GJ to Montrose where you pick up Hwy 550 south and do the million dollar hwy through Ridgway/Ouray/Silverton and by Telluride to Durango in the SW corner of CO. Take Hwy 160 easy through Pagosa Springs and over to Walsenburg on I-25. Short stint on I-25 north and you are back in Pueblo where you started out.

 

[BlueberryPie]

The Great Sand Dunes national park is a break from the mountains and pretty unique
I'd take 285 from Denver for the more scenic route
and you get to travel through "South Park" if you;re into that sort of thing (I'm not familiar with the show so I can't really tell you if it's worth it or not, but a friend of mine was at least tickled by the idea)

 

[MRG]

There's a very scenic loop from Durango that goes to Telluride through Delores then down through Ouray and Silverton on the return to Durango.

Million Dollar Highway.


https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/635-million-dollar-highway-usa.html

In the state of Colorado of the United States of America there’s a special highway built in the late 1880's: the Million Dollar Highway, part of the*San Juan Skyway.*It's one of the nation’s most spectacular drives.*You'll be on the "outside" for a while with a hell of a view to your right (let the passenger look. You'll want to watch the road).*Forget standard driving safety measures like guardrails and shoulders, there aren't any on this stretch, so swerving off the road is not advised!

 

[Chuckanut]

Boy, did you just open up a can of worms..


Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP


Silverton


Ouray....


Just point your car toward NM and drive...


Riding shotgun often tapes videos in that area, I want to warn you sometimes he gets political..

I'll gladly feed the worms for a few good ideas.

I have found that the recommendations from this group of FIRED people far exceed those of traditional guide books and state travel departments. Maybe it's because they aren't trying to sell me something (like a ride up a mountain in an old mining car for short tour and a rubber chicken lunch).

 

[ABQ2015]

Any good scenic drives in Colorado besides those that go over the Rockies from East to West?

My favorite is Million Dollar Highway but some others are:

Grand Mesa Scenic Byway from I-70 east of Palisade on Hwy 65 through Cedaredge to Delta

Wolf Creek Pass on Hwy 160 from Pagosa Springs to South Fork

I drove the next three on separate occasions but now read that these together are called the Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway:

Leadville from Hwy 24 north to Minturn to I-70 near Vail

Leadville from Hwy 91 north to I-70 near Copper Mountain

Independence Pass from Hwy 24 near Granite/Buena Vista to Hwy 82 to Aspen

Peak to Peak Scenic Byway from Estes Park on Hwy 7 south to Allenspark , Hwy 72 to Nederland, and Hwy 119 to Blackhawk to I-70

Loveland Pass on Hwy 6 off I-70 at Dillon or Silver Plume. Goes by several ski resorts and a way to avoid some of the backed up tunnel traffic on I-70 west of Denver.

These scenic drives would be even better during fall foliage which I think is mid to late September. Since retiring four years ago, I have been exploring nearby states including Colorado. But am nervous about driving in winter weather or ice/snow so limit Colorado travel to June to October. Because of the large vacation crowds this summer, I avoided Colorado in 2021 but hope to resume in 2022 with trips to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP/Crested Butte and the Aspen/Carbondale/Glenwood Springs areas.