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10 days in Colorado in June

Snowman9000
Explorer
Explorer
Besides RMNP, what are your top three or four places to see in Colorado in June?

We won't be jeeping, hiking, or riding horses. Mostly I'd like to hear about great towns and scenery. A little someplace to walk around in the day, and then a great place to camp.

Dry campsite ideas are welcome too. We are driving a 25 foot Class C.

Most likely we will be starting up north, and working our way down to New Mexico. If you think a particular routing is especially good for that, please say so.

Thanks!

(I'll be cutting and pasting similar questions for some other states.)
Currently RV-less but not done yet.
23 REPLIES 23

fanrgs
Explorer
Explorer
tatest wrote:
RMNP and Estes don't even make my top 10. Most of my favorites are in southern Colorado.

1. Grand Junction, Colorado National Monument
2. Gunnison Valley: Montrose, Black Canyon NP, Curecanti NRA, Blue Mesa Reservoir.
3. Cortez to Durango to Silverton, including Mesa Verde NP
4. Upper Arkansas valley, Canon City to Poncha Springs.
My top 10 list wouldn't even include most of those places. But I have lived, worked, and played in every corner of Colorado for more than 50 years. My list might include places like Monarch Lake above Granby Reservoir, Trappers Lake in the Flattops, Lake San Cristobal near Lake City, the Dolores River canyon south of Gateway, and the town of Marble during the fall aspen "leaf-peeping" season. In short, I don't like to camp where there are crowds, so my summer camping in national parks and monuments is limited.

But the OP has only 10 days to see a wide variety of Rocky Mountain scenery in as short a time as possible. So, driving 350 miles out of his way to get to SW Colorado might be difficult with that time constraint.
"Retirement is the best job I ever had!"
2015 RAM 2500 4x4 crewcab 6.7L CTD; 2016 Rockwood Signature UltraLite 5th wheel

tatest
Explorer II
Explorer II
RMNP and Estes don't even make my top 10. Most of my favorites are in southern Colorado.

1. Grand Junction, Colorado National Monument
2. Gunnison Valley: Montrose, Black Canyon NP, Curecanti NRA, Blue Mesa Reservoir.
3. Cortez to Durango to Silverton, including Mesa Verde NP
4. Upper Arkansas valley, Canon City to Poncha Springs.
Tom Test
Itasca Spirit 29B

drsteve
Explorer
Explorer
Pike's Peak. Rode a motorcycle to the top many years ago. Incredible views.
Keep in mind too that high altitudes, such as found in RMNP, are rough on us flatlanders. At 10,000 feet, even a brisk walk can take your breath away.
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2gypsies1
Explorer
Explorer
Why only 10 days? Are you limited on time or are you retired and free to stay longer?
Full-Timed for 16 Years
.... Back in S&B Again
Traveled 8 yr in a 40' 2004 Newmar Dutch Star Motorhome
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

sele
Explorer
Explorer
Enjoy Heaven on Earth I don't think you can go wrong with any of the suggestions.
scott

padredw
Nomad
Nomad
fanrgas wrote:
My additions to his route would be to leave US 285 at Antonito and take CO 17 over Cumbres Pass to Chama. Ride a C&TS narrow-gauge train over Cumbres Pass to Osier and back to Chama via bus. From Chama, drive US 64 to Taos with a short photo stop at the very impressive Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Spend a day or two visiting some of the art museums and the Taos Pueblo.


I agree that this would be an excellent alternative. Just shows you can't go wrong with such great choices in Southwest Colorado and Northern New Mexico.

Snowman9000
Explorer
Explorer
Everyone, thanks again!
Currently RV-less but not done yet.

fanrgs
Explorer
Explorer
Snowman9000 wrote:
But to answer your question the best I can, let's say Santa Fe, NM. We're not interested in the four corners area, I don't think.
Thanks, that helps a lot. I agree with much of the route that padredw suggests. In fact, we just camped in that area last fall when the aspen were changing. And we have also stayed at Taos Valley and Santa Fe Skies RV parks.

My additions to his route would be to leave US 285 at Antonito and take CO 17 over Cumbres Pass to Chama. Ride a C&TS narrow-gauge train over Cumbres Pass to Osier and back to Chama via bus. From Chama, drive US 64 to Taos with a short photo stop at the very impressive Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Spend a day or two visiting some of the art museums and the Taos Pueblo.

From Taos, take the "High Road" (NM 518/76) through Trampas, Truchas, and Chimayo to view some of the scenery that was immortalized in "The Milagro Beanfield War" movie and stopping at a few of the wool weaving shops along the way. That route will put you back on US 285 and take you straight into Santa Fe.

Another slight detour would be to go up to Los Alamos and Bandelier National Monument. We also did that last fall--you can stay at beautiful, but dry camping, Juniper Campground at Bandelier or with hookups in the paved "parking lot" right next door to the visitor's center in White Rock, where you have to take the bus to Bandelier if you will get to their entrance gate after 9:00 AM.

Have fun!
"Retirement is the best job I ever had!"
2015 RAM 2500 4x4 crewcab 6.7L CTD; 2016 Rockwood Signature UltraLite 5th wheel

padredw
Nomad
Nomad
There are many good answers to your original post. I'll just highlight one of them:

+> Take the Peak to Peak Highway from Estes Park to I-70 W. (I can give details on this route if you wish.) Turn at Copper Mountain onto CO 91 through Leadville to Buena Vista for your base campground (many to choose from).

From Buena Vista you can make day trips to Aspen, Salida, Leadville, St. Elmo, or even over Cottonwood Pass to Taylor River and Crested Butte.

This would fulfill your request for three places, but . . .

+> you come on down US 285 to Monte Vista and drive over to South Fork US 160. Either stay there or go on up to Creede. Great campground at Mountain View in Creede. One of the best repertory theaters in the country in Creede.

From Creede you would have a choice: go back over to 285 and down to Santa Fe (220 miles) or go west on 160 over Wolf Creek Pass to Pagosa Springs then down through Chama, NM to Santa Fe. A bit longer, but also a nice drive.

I haven't even included a stop in Taos, NM which would always be on my list of great places to visit.

We stay at Arrowhead RV Park in Buena Vista, Mountain View in Creede, Taos Valley in Taos, and Santa Fe Skies in Santa Fe.

Snowman9000
Explorer
Explorer
None of the trip is planned, it's all seat of the pants. Plus we don't mind driving sideways if there is something worth going to.

But to answer your question the best I can, let's say Santa Fe, NM. We're not interested in the four corners area, I don't think.
Currently RV-less but not done yet.

fanrgs
Explorer
Explorer
Picking only 3 spots in Colorado to visit after RMNP is sort like asking me to pick which of my sons I love best. So, I'll just ask, where are you planning to go and what are you planning to see in New Mexico?

We just got back from New Mexico and Arizona a few weeks ago, so your route to get to the spots you want to visit there relates directly to where you should go in Colorado on your way south, right? For example, if you are going to Carlsbad Caverns, then taking you from RMNP to Ouray, Silverton, and Mesa Verde would be quite a circuitous route.

Please, give us a little help here!
"Retirement is the best job I ever had!"
2015 RAM 2500 4x4 crewcab 6.7L CTD; 2016 Rockwood Signature UltraLite 5th wheel

Jackha1949
Explorer
Explorer
Rt 145 southward from Montrose thru Telluride to Cortez is a very pretty trip. There are places along Rt 145 where you can dry camp especially south of Telluride and just south of Trout Lake. The mountain views are awesome and the road follows along the Delores River. There are two private campgrounds along Rt145 one is Priest Gulch and the other is Delores RV park, both are very nice. From Cortez you can go to Durango and then south along 55 to New Mexico. Very beautiful trip!
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2gypsies1
Explorer
Explorer
1stgenfarmboy wrote:
We were there last spring and loved rt550 the million dollar highway, from durango all the way up, we hit all the towns, a cool suggestion I got from a friend on another forum was to stop at Mountain Village and take a free gondola ride down into Telluride, it sure beats parking in town. just do some research on each town before you get there so you don't miss somthing cool, I think if we go back I want to ride the narrow gauge steam train from Durango to Telluride.

The scenery is awesome anywhere along rt 550,


We agree that Hwy 550 is an awesome drive and we've done it often. We also stayed in Silverton - boondocking and Jeeping.

However, just a slight correction on the above.... 550 doesn't take you to Telluride and the train doesn't go from Durango to Telluride. It goes to Silverton. Telluride is on Hwy 145 out of Cortez - also a pretty drive.
Full-Timed for 16 Years
.... Back in S&B Again
Traveled 8 yr in a 40' 2004 Newmar Dutch Star Motorhome
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

1stgenfarmboy
Explorer
Explorer
We were there last spring and loved rt550 the million dollar highway, from durango all the way up, we hit all the towns, a cool suggestion I got from a friend on another forum was to stop at Mountain Village and take a free gondola ride down into Telluride, it sure beats parking in town. just do some research on each town before you get there so you don't miss somthing cool, I think if we go back I want to ride the narrow gauge steam train from Durango to Silverton.

The scenery is awesome anywhere along rt 550,
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