Whichever route you take, it's definitely a must stop if you're coming all this way - the falls roll through rocks surrounded by a pine forest putting you in a relaxing trance the moment you hear the water. Getting to Aspen from Denver takes a little over 3 hours. In the summer you can take the shorter route by turning south off the I at Copper Mountain. After you follow Highways 91 and 24, the turn right at Twin Lakes will take you up towards the resort. In the winter State Highway 82 is shut because the passes become too dangerous in the snow and you'll have to take the longer way around through Vail and Glenwood Springs, although it will only add around 10 minutes onto your journey.
Aspen is known as one of the top snow destinations in the United States. If you love winter sports or just want to spend a few days in the mountains breathing fresh air and doing a bit of sledging, Aspen is a perfect place to come.
There are 4 separate ski resorts in Aspen - Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk are smaller mountains and are closer to the resort.
Snowmass is the largest but you'll need to drive a few miles to get there. If skiing and snowboarding is not your thing, there's snowmobiles, tubing, snowbikes it's a thing!
In the summer, ski slopes turn to mountain bike trails and the hiking routes become a little easier without a few feet of snow on top of them. There are mountain top restaurants that are open through every season and you can even catch a concert at the 19th century Wheeler Opera House!
If you're just driving through you might not think much of this relaxed place in the foothills of the Rockies and you would be very wrong. Because Palisade has a huge amount to offer drawing visitors from near and far all the way through the year. The town sits along the Colorado River with the rocky plateau of the Grand Valley providing a scenic backdrop. The floodplain soils and the local weather have made this a perfect spot for producing wine and there are 25 wineries producing some really amazing wine here.
The Colorado Wine Country, as the locals call it, hosts the annual Colorado Mountain Winefest in September to celebrate the grape harvest but you need to plan ahead to get tickets as the event sells out every year. But wine is not all there is to Palisade. The local peaches have become a big deal and there's the Peach Festival in August where you can join in the peach eating competition or judge the merits of different types of peach ice cream.
On top of these events and many other festivals dotted through the year, Palisade has some great local restaurants, art galleries and a brewery that makes a hearty wheat beer. There are few better spots for unwinding for a few days and enjoy a short road trip from Denver. Top tip: If you love a good driving road, you're in luck. The Grand Mesa Scenic Byway runs south from just outside Palisade and offers breathtaking mountain views, tight turns and little traffic.
If you thought that Colorado was all about the tall mountains, rivers flowing through valleys, plains stretching to the horizon and wild grasslands, think again. The Great Sand Dunes National Park is less than 4 hours' worth of driving from Denver and has sand dunes that wouldn't look out of place in the Sahara desert.
In fact these are the tallest sand dunes in North America with a total area of around 30 square miles 78 square km with the pyramid shaped Star Dune towering above the rest. Aside from walking along the ridges of the sand dunes, you can have a go at sledding yes! The fastest route to the Great Sand Dunes National Park will take you through Colorado Springs - it's a great place to stop on the way and depending on time, you can check out Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods as well - see 1 above!
The road trip from Denver to Santa Fe is incredibly straight-forward. You need to join the I south in downtown Denver and stay on the road for just shy of miles until it loops past Santa Fe - a simple enough route to follow! You can follow US which is a more direct route shaving over 30 miles off the journey.
It is definitely more scenic passing by mountains and along scenic roads, but will add half an hour to the driving time. I'd recommend heading down to Santa Fe this way and then taking the interstate back if you are heading home in the evening when you won't see any of the views.
Santa Fe is a unique blend of colonial style Pueblo architecture and arts. The arts scene mixes traditional local Indian art with Mexican influences from further south. The food here is one of the main reasons you should come. A unique New Mexico flavor brings together Mexican cooking styles with locally grown peppers and pine nuts. State as recently as and has retained a unique cuisine and culture that makes it one of the best hidden gems you can visit from Denver.
Telluride is the perfect destination for road trip fans coming from Denver. The drive to get here crosses mountain ranges and passes through a few National Forests - worth coming just for that alone. But then when you actually get to Telluride, you will find yourself on the San Juan Skyway - a mile loop through San Juan Mountains that is one of the best scenic drives in the state.
With 12 hours of driving to get to and come back from Telluride and the day out along the twists and turns of the Skyway, you might also want to do some relaxation and this is what Telluride will provide for you in large amounts. For those who like to be active there's skiing and sledding in the winter and hiking and white water rafting over the summer months. If you want to relax and not exert yourself, head to the cafes and restaurants in Mountain Village or visit on of a surprisingly large number of art galleries in town.
Don't forget to visit the Bridal Veil Falls which you can get to by driving up the valley from Telluride. This very pretty waterfall freezes over completely in the winter and the trail up becomes a little treacherous so take care. Thermopolis is a small town in Wyoming and it will take you around 7 hours to get there including a stop for lunch on the way. You can use the facilities for free, although there's a small payment needed for the towels.
The water that comes through the rocks in the ground is full of salts and minerals and these are deposited as a colorful compound called travertine forming pretty waterfall-like limestone formations. To help you get around the park, there are paths and trails as well as a swinging suspension bridge over the river. You can drive around to find the small State Bison Herd that lives in the park, but take care not to get out of the car or approach the bison when you do spot them - they are wild animals and can be dangerous.
Most Americans know of Mount Rushmore - the giant 60 foot 18 m faces of 4 of the most famous U. Few Americans, however, would be able to point to where Mount Rushmore is on a map and the answer is - less than 6 hours of driving headed north from Denver. Mount Rushmore is located in the Black Hills - a mountain range in the southwestern corner of South Dakota a few miles from the border with Wyoming. The faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln were originally meant to be larger sculptures going down to the waist of each President, but as funds run out in , Lincoln drew the short straw of having the least proportion of his head completed.
The route to Mount Rushmore will be very flat with few exceptions. You will pass close to the Pawnee and Thunder Basin National Grasslands which are worth stopping by if you have time. Both are vast flat expanses covered in grass as far as the eye can see - perfect for relaxing with a beer as the sun slowly sets behind the horizon. Moab may be a popular destination and during the peak of the tourist season it can get busier, but there's a good reason for that - it's an amazing place to go!
If there's one long road trip from Denver to go on, this might be it! There's amazing National Parks with canyons, unusual rock formations and crazy wildlife. Then there's the small local towns that will make you feel like you've driven to a different planet let alone the next State. Exchanging the hustle and bustle of the big city for the endless surreal landscapes is worth it and at just over 5 hours, Moab is not a long drive. I've raised the time taken above to 7 hours 30 minutes because you will want to drive into Canyonlands and Arches National parks and that'll add a fair bit of time to your driving distance.
Another story for that one. Nederland is a bustling little community with enough shops, restaurants, and scenery to keep you entertained for an afternoon. Next, you will experience more great riding as you head in to Estes Park. Once again, more great shops and restaurants to entice your spirit. It is not uncommon to see wild life such as Elk roaming the streets and parks near Estes.
If you want more, a ride over trail ridge road through Rocky Mountain National Park should leave you fully satisfied. Another quick jaunt down HWY 36 and you will land back in Denver. Spend a day, or spend 3 days. You couldn't run out of things to explore on this route. The great riding to be had in Colorado is simply endless. A quick jaunt out of Denver to HWY and the adventure ahead is just beginning to present itself. The ride down opens with some spirited cornering to get your blood pumping for miles.
Even though this little stop may be a bit off the beaten path, the place is treasured among the biker community. Once you have settled in to your ride a bit, you will find yourself in Bailey, CO. Bailey is the quintessential small mountain town. You are certain to find a cup of coffee and a quick bite that will haunt your memory, for good or ill, in Bailey. Make this an early fall destination and you are sure to see colors you have only imagined blanketing the high mountain vistas.
Also referred to as South Park. Yes, this is the South Park from the cartoon. Breckenridge will have enough shops and restaurants to keep you entertained all afternoon. Keep following HWY 9 to Frisco for more shops and restaurants with plenty of Colorado mountain flair. You will have options from here. Pressed for time? Then its I east all the way back into Denver. But if you still have a thirst of adventure, we recommend you choose HWY 6 for a little more adrenaline packed riding over Loveland pass nearly 12, ft.
Over miles of sweeping curves and jaw-dropping mountain passes await on the Million Dollar Highway and the San Juan Skyway, and in between, there is no shortage of charming mountain towns to visit, Western-style saloons to dine in, and deep local history to explore.
Although this route can be ridden in a single day, consider breaking it up into two parts and staying the night in one of the charming western-flavored towns along the way.
This corner of Colorado was a booming gold and silver mining region in the nineteenth century, and towns like Telluride, and especially Silverton, still retain that unique recollection of the Old West.
If you have rented a dual-sport motorcycle, you'll have the right bike to explore some of the dirt trails leading to the ruins of abandoned gold towns such as Animas Forks as well as the notorious Engineer Pass. Thanks to the high elevation this area gets a lot of snow, and while the riding can be great on the shoulder seasons, the snowfall is unpredictable from season to season.
If you plan to camp, be mindful of wildlife, especially black bears, and only camp in designated campsites. There will be plenty of gas stations, places to eat, and points of interest along the way.
Starting in Ridgway, Colorado, jump on Route and head South. Built in , Ouray was once a flourishing gold and silver mining town. Ouray is now famous for its hot springs, mountain lodges, outdoor sports, and craft beer and spirits. Several hotels offer their own private hot springs, and there is a public hot spring on the north end of town that's extremely popular among both travelers and locals.
The San Juan Skyway runs along the spine of the San Juan Mountains, offering countless switchbacks, climbs and descents, and jaw-dropping vistas from sheer cliffs. Get Here Like. Download GPX. Elevation Profile. Waterton Canyon Trailhead. Start Biking. Waterton Canyon Trail. Waterton Canyon Accessible Fishing Pier. A wooden deck with easy access to fish in the South Platte River.
Continue Biking. Bighorn Sheep Rest Area. View 7 Day Forecast on weather.
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