Colorado trip in August

[texaskdog]

Heading from Austin through Durango to Moab, then Estes Park, then home.  Major stops we have planned: Durango/Silverton RR, West side of the SJ Skyway (did the east last year), Arches & Canyonlands NP, Glenwood Canyon, Eisenhower Tunnel, Loveland Pass, Rocky Mtn NP, I-70 descending into Denver, and Pikes Peak.  If there is anything anyone would recommend as "can't miss" on this route please recommend.  Thanks!  (might do Canon City but its spendy)

[oscar]

Heading from Austin through Durango to Moab, then Estes Park, then home.  Major stops we have planned: Durango/Silverton RR, West side of the SJ Skyway (did the east last year), Arches & Canyonlands NP, Glenwood Canyon, Eisenhower Tunnel, Loveland Pass, Rocky Mtn NP, I-70 descending into Denver, and Pikes Peak.  If there is anything anyone would recommend as "can't miss" on this route please recommend.  Thanks!  (might do Canon City but its spendy)

I suggest adding the toll road to the Mt. Evans summit, which tops out higher than the Pikes Peak summit and is the highest auto road in North America.  That is not too far off I-70, via CO 103.  The Mt. Evans road usually closes in early September, so keep that in mind.  While part of the Pikes Peak toll road is unpaved, the Mt. Evans road is all paved.

Loveland Pass bypasses the Eisenhower Tunnel, so you'd need to double back to do both.

If you do Canon City, for something offbeat do a drive-by of all the prisons south of Florence along CO 67, including the Federal "supermax" prison.  It's especially impressive at night. 

[texaskdog]

Never heard about Mt Evans.  We will take a look!!!!

[texaskdog]

Maybe we'll add a day in Denver so we can do this.....heading south from RMNP on 119 where would we go, keeping in mind we want to get back to I-70 to take it down into Denver

[thenetwork]

One of the hidden gems is the 25+ mile Rim Rock Drive through the Colorado National Monument, which begins near Fruita/I-70 Exit 19 and ends in Grand Junction.

They are getting close to upgrading it to "National Park" status, but the views of the different canyons and valleys is awesome. And if you want a brief respite from the 90-100 degree heat, then you can be about 15 degrees cooler there.  And if you are getting a National Parks Pass (good for up to a year), you get to skip the entry fee there as well.

Another great loop is taking US-50 East out of Grand Junction to Whitewater, then taking Lands End Road up to the top of the Grand Mesa -- the largest flattop mountain in North America -- and coming back down to I-70 via CO-65 North. You can be up to 30 degrees cooler than in Grand Junction here.

[kphoger]

Ouray, Colorado:  one of my favorite towns.
Things to see:  waterfall on the east side of town, public hot springs pool on the north side of town.
Also possible to rent a Jeep and take the 4WD roads through Ophir to Telluride, then via Tomboy Pass back to Ouray.

[Darkchylde]

Ouray, Colorado:  one of my favorite towns.
Things to see:  waterfall on the east side of town, public hot springs pool on the north side of town.
Also possible to rent a Jeep and take the 4WD roads through Ophir to Telluride, then via Tomboy Pass back to Ouray.

Seconded. Ridgway, north of Ouray, isn't bad either. Small and quaint. Food's good there, too.

[texaskdog]

Thank you Oscar....Mt Evans is going to be a feature of our trip...didn't know about it...going to Telluride too...will take all suggestions into account.

[texaskdog]

Rim Rock Drive...will add that too