Question about I-70 in western Colorado

[A.J. Bertin]

I will be taking a cross-country road trip with a friend of mine from Michigan to California and back in a couple weeks. As part of our route to California, we will taking I-70 from the St. Louis area all the way out to I-15 and then south toward California. On the evening of Sunday, July 1, we will be driving from Topeka, KS to Grand Junction, CO. I've never driven on I-70 in Colorado before and have a couple questions that I'm hoping someone would be willing to answer.

First, what is the terrain like on I-70? My understanding is that a lot of it is pretty rugged with twists and turns going up and down the mountains. Are there a lot of places where there are low speed limits, steep inclines, sharp turns, and no guard rails preventing your vehicle from falling off a cliff?

My second concern is wanting to make sure I am driving in as much daylight as possible. In early July, how late does it usually stay light? If I'm driving through the mountains, I am hoping to do all that during daylight and not be in a situation where I'm stuck driving through that at night without being able to see all the scenery.

Any helpful information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[NE2]

I-70 is a modern Interstate. Curves and grades are a little sharper in Colorado than in Kansas, but it shouldn't be a problem in a car. Just pay attention and don't go too fast for conditions.

http://www.usends.com/Explore/Truckers/index.html shows some of the warning signs.

[roadfro]

A good read to get familiar with the route would be Wikipedia's "Interstate 70 in Colorado" article. It's a featured article and has a wealth of information about the mountainous stretches west of Denver.

[usends]

...On the evening of Sunday, July 1, we will be driving from Topeka, KS to Grand Junction, CO. I've never driven on I-70 in Colorado before and have a couple questions that I'm hoping someone would be willing to answer.

Well, you're in for a treat: I-70 between Denver and Junction is quite a scenic drive.  However, that's a long way from Topeka.  I agree with your thought to see I-70 during daylight hours, so may I suggest starting out as early in the morning as possible.  (It helps that you'll gain an hour in western KS.)

First, what is the terrain like on I-70? My understanding is that a lot of it is pretty rugged with twists and turns going up and down the mountains. Are there a lot of places where there are low speed limits, steep inclines, sharp turns, and no guard rails preventing your vehicle from falling off a cliff?

Some of the surrounding terrain is indeed rugged, but I-70 is built to interstate standards.  There are guardrails, but try to avoid making use of them   There are no switchbacks, but there are some fairly steep grades, and there are some places (well-marked) where you'll have to watch your speed.  West from Denver, there's a lot of up-and-down over minor passes, culminating in a major pass over the Divide (or actually, through the Divide, via the Eisenhower Tunnel).  After that there's only one more major pass (Vail), and then it's a gradual downhill all the way to Junction.  No need to worry - just pay attention, and enjoy the ride.  Glenwood Canyon is spectacular.

My second concern is wanting to make sure I am driving in as much daylight as possible. In early July, how late does it usually stay light? If I'm driving through the mountains, I am hoping to do all that during daylight and not be in a situation where I'm stuck driving through that at night without being able to see all the scenery.

I'm in Denver, and I'd say you should have good light until about 8:30 pm.  But Glenwood Canyon is deep, and it blocks a lot of sunlight, so I'd suggest trying to get there no later than 5 or 6 pm.

[agentsteel53]

understanding is that a lot of it is pretty rugged with twists and turns going up and down the mountains. Are there a lot of places where there are low speed limits, steep inclines, sharp turns, and no guard rails preventing your vehicle from falling off a cliff?

there are no interstate highways in the US which are so substandard. 

certainly not I-70 as NE2 mentioned.  the really winding parts west of Denver were built around 1992. I believe the lowest advisory speed at any single curve is 50mph, but it might be 55.

[Revive 755]

^ I'm 90% sure there is a 45 mph advisory for at least one of the curves in Glenwood Canyon.

Personally, if time permits, I would go from Topeka to Denver, stay the night in Denver, then enjoy I-70 in the mountains the next day, as this option would allow more time in case of major traffic delays in the Denver area and for time spent at some of the scenic view pull-offs along the interstate.

[Brandon]

I-70 is a blast to drive, IMHO.  I took it in the middle of the night, in a rented RV, through the Eisenhower Tunnel and Glenwood Canyon, and even then, it was spectacular.  Granted, it wasn't the greatest vehicle up through the tunnel and Vail Pass as it could only do 45 mph in 2nd gear up those inclines.  I would suggest a vehicle capable of the inclines up Loveland Pass and Vail Pass, and something fuel injected.  You go up over 11,000 feet on both, and the air is thin for carburetors (I know from a 1984 trip we did across RMNP with a 1981 Dodge Aries).

Otherwise, have a big card on your camera.  You'll want it.  There are several rest areas where you can get off and view the interstate, especially in Glenwood Canyon.  The terrain flattens out as you get to Grand Junction and the Colorado River Valley.

[oscar]

Granted, it wasn't the greatest vehicle up through the tunnel and Vail Pass as it could only do 45 mph in 2nd gear up those inclines.  I would suggest a vehicle capable of the inclines up Loveland Pass and Vail Pass, and something fuel injected.  You go up over 11,000 feet on both, and the air is thin for carburetors (I know from a 1984 trip we did across RMNP with a 1981 Dodge Aries).

FWIW, I did both passes in a Prius, no problema.  But Loveland Pass (11.992 feet) is on US 6, a scenic detour off I-70 which bypasses the Eisenhower tunnels (indeed, it is maintained in part for trucks with hazardous goods prohibited from using the tunnels).

[Brandon]

^^ But, it is Loveland Pass that the tunnel goes under, so they have the same inclines to the point where US-6 splits off.

[national highway 1]

understanding is that a lot of it is pretty rugged with twists and turns going up and down the mountains. Are there a lot of places where there are low speed limits, steep inclines, sharp turns, and no guard rails preventing your vehicle from falling off a cliff?

there are no interstate highways in the US which are so substandard. 

That's Camino del Muerte (Death Road) in Bolivia, documented on Top Gear.

[thenetwork]

First, what is the terrain like on I-70? My understanding is that a lot of it is pretty rugged with twists and turns going up and down the mountains. Are there a lot of places where there are low speed limits, steep inclines, sharp turns, and no guard rails preventing your vehicle from falling off a cliff?

Like most everyone has said, I-70 west of Denver is a great drive...Once you get west of Vail (past US-24), you are out of the steep hills until you get to the San Rafael Swell in Utah (which is another series of steep, winding curves).  I will add that Glenwood Canyon is posted at 50 MPH as is Debeque Canyon just before Grand Junction, otherwise it's mostly 75 MPH west of Vail.

My second concern is wanting to make sure I am driving in as much daylight as possible. In early July, how late does it usually stay light? If I'm driving through the mountains, I am hoping to do all that during daylight and not be in a situation where I'm stuck driving through that at night without being able to see all the scenery.

The most scenic part of I-70 is between Denver and Grand Junction, so it is best to hit that bright & early in the day.  As soon as you cross into Utah (literally) it is pretty much flat and uneventful until you pass Green River, when you reach the previously mentioned San Rafael Swells. 

As far as gassing up, fill up in Denver and top off again in Grand Junction (cheapest gas is a mile south of I-70 at the Safeway store off of exit 31/Horizon Drive -- usually 25 cents /gal cheaper than the stations right at the interstate).  Avoid filling up in between the two towns as they tend to gouge an average of 40-50 cents more a gallon.

And be sure to get your fill of food and full restroom facilities before leaving Grand Junction.  There is pretty much nothing from Fruita, CO to Green River, UT (about 80 miles) and again from Green River to Salina (about 100+ miles), you will be adequately warned while passing through Green River.   

Some recommended places to check out along the way:  Red Rocks, Lookout Mountain and the Bison View area off the Genesse exit in Denver, the rest area exits in Glenwood Canyon, and most all the View Area exits along I-70 in Utah. 

And for some real fun, follow the old pre-interstate alignments of US-6 between Glenwood Springs (Canyon Creek/Exit 109) to Debeque (Exit 62) Grand Junction (Exit 26) to Utah's Westwater Exit (Exit 227), and from Cisco (Exit 214) to Thompson Springs (Exit 187).  These old/current US-6 alignments are relatively flat and are in decent shape in Colorado, though a little rough around the edges once in Utah, but you can pretty much make decent time on them, save for the few towns you pass through.  The nice thing is that you are usually within sight (if not a few miles) of I-70 at all times.

Hope this helps.

[A.J. Bertin]

Thanks to all of you for your input. I will definitely have to take a look at the links mentioned above.

Someone had suggested that we spend the night in Denver rather than drive all the way to Grand Junction. In theory, that would be best. But time is very limited and the only available time we have for the trip is June 30 through July 9. We're doing the drive in three days going out, but we are taking four days coming back. That second day driving out is the day from Topeka to Grand Junction. The third day we are going all the way to just outside Palm Springs, California. Trying to do that drive from Denver would have been really tough.

I'm going to push for us to leave Topeka no later than 6:30 a.m. Central Time so that we can hopefully be in Grand Junction by 8:30 p.m. Mountain.

Thanks again for all your input!

[kphoger]

I've driven I-70 across Colorado at daytime, dusk, dawn, and even in the middle of the night, and enjoyed all the different times due to the different lighting.  I actually enjoy it when the canyons are plunged in shadow.

FYI, your lunch options will be Goodland, KS (if you like eating a little early and don't mind slim pickin's), Burlington, CO (if like eating closer to noon), and Limon, CO (if you like eating a little late).

[A.J. Bertin]

I understand that there are lots of wildfires throughout different parts of Colorado. Does anyone have any guess as to whether our route along I-70 will be impacted by these fires? Upon looking at a map of the affected areas, it looks like these fires are either in the southwest corner of the state or along the I-25 corridor (Colorado Springs, Boulder, and other places north of Denver).

Should we have reason to be concerned about this affecting our trip route?

[thenetwork]

I understand that there are lots of wildfires throughout different parts of Colorado. Does anyone have any guess as to whether our route along I-70 will be impacted by these fires? Upon looking at a map of the affected areas, it looks like these fires are either in the southwest corner of the state or along the I-25 corridor (Colorado Springs, Boulder, and other places north of Denver).

Should we have reason to be concerned about this affecting our trip route?

At the present time, there are no wildfires close enough to I-70 to affect the interstate directly or indirectly.  For the most up-to-date info, go to http://cotrip.org/roadConditions.htm, or when within the Colorado borders, dial *5-1-1 on your cellular phone.

[A.J. Bertin]

At the present time, there are no wildfires close enough to I-70 to affect the interstate directly or indirectly.  For the most up-to-date info, go to http://cotrip.org/roadConditions.htm, or when within the Colorado borders, dial *5-1-1 on your cellular phone.

Thank you so much for this link. Earlier this evening, a 13-mile stretch of I-70 not too far from Grand Junction was closed.

Given the unpredictability of the fire, I have decided to take a completely different route out to California which will allow me to avoid Colorado altogether. As much as I would LOVE to drive on I-70 west of Denver, this is a sign that now is not the time to do that. If we were not on such a time constraint and didn't have to worry about detours taking too long, we'd probably consider just sticking it out and taking whatever detours are posted.

I figure it's best to play it safe and will have to keep I-70 from St. Louis to Utah on my bucket list for a future road trip. I'll miss out on passing through the Kansas City and Denver metro areas (and also not being able to add Kansas to my list of states visited), but on the other hand I will get to drive through Des Moines, Omaha, Cheyenne, and Salt Lake City for the first time.

This original route was just not meant to be for now. I hope very few people lose their homes or businesses in the wildfires.

[Scott5114]

Oh man, that sucks. I hear I-80 in WY/UT is a snoozefest. It certainly is in Nebraska.

[corco]

Yes

[Scott5114]

Yes

There you have it, from the only person who has ever been known to live in Wyoming!

[kkt]

Oh man, that sucks. I hear I-80 in WY/UT is a snoozefest. It certainly is in Nebraska.

I-80 in Wyoming and Utah may not be as pretty as I-70, but it's way, way prettier than Nebraska. 

[signalman]

Oh man, that sucks. I hear I-80 in WY/UT is a snoozefest. It certainly is in Nebraska.

Oh yes, I-80 across Nebraska is indeed boring....over 400 miles of almost the same scenery.  Wyoming is a bit more exciting, but I can't say about Utah...never been there

[oscar]

Oh man, that sucks. I hear I-80 in WY/UT is a snoozefest. It certainly is in Nebraska.

Not at all in WY.  Nor in UT, east of Salt Lake City -- but to the west, it's much more boring than Nebraska. 

[corco]

I don't know about that- it's interesting from Laramie to Cheyenne and from Green River to Utah, but Laramie to Green River is more boring than Nebraska in my mind- it's flat with a few small bluffs but it's so brown.

[andy3175]

I also lived in Wyoming and can state that I-80 has several interesting segments across southern Wyoming and northern Utah. I would sooner drive that segment than the portion of I-80 leading through Nebraska and Iowa, but that is just personal preference. High altitude deserts, mountains, and foothills are more interesting to me than farmland. While I also enjoy passing through farmland, I prefer desert/mountains. All personal preference.

Regards,
Andy

[Sykotyk]

Oh man, that sucks. I hear I-80 in WY/UT is a snoozefest. It certainly is in Nebraska.

Oh yes, I-80 across Nebraska is indeed boring....over 400 miles of almost the same scenery.  Wyoming is a bit more exciting, but I can't say about Utah...never been there

I've driven I-80 from SLC to Omaha many many times. I actually like Nebraska more than Wyoming. Wyoming has a little scenery east of Laramie and near Pine Bluffs. Even for hills, it's 'plain' to me. Was neat the first time or two. But, give me some trees,... and I don't mean Tree Rock.

Laramie to Rock Springs is about as desolate as you'll get for a moderately well traveled road. Just a whole lot of nothing to see, except pronghorns. Dozens and dozens of pronghorns. Even those get boring after a while.