Tusayan-Durango-Wheat Ridge, Road OK for Class A

[DonBaja]

My family has a trip planned this month using Hwy 160 and Hwy 285 thru Colo. Pagosa Springs sounds scary as I can still remember some of the words to the "Wolf Creek Pass" song of long ago. Is anyone here familiar with this road and care to comment? Thanks.

[Busskipper]

2gypsies wrote:
From Tusayan, AZ (Grand Canyon), it's best to take 64 east through the park to exit on Hwy 89 north. Going south to Williams to 89 will add more miles. 64 east is good for RVs.

At 89 go north to 160 at Tuba City and take 160 east to Durango. You'll pass Mesa Verde Nat'l Park if you haven't been there yet. Take a ranger tour for the best experience.

From Durango you'll have 335 miles to Wheat Ridge.

Agree...Wolf Creek is very doable with a RV and many do it, including us with a 40' motorhome. From Pagosa Springs you'll have an uphill. Then from the Pass you'll have 6% downhill at 25mph speed limit so no one is going fast. This will be 4 lanes. Then 2 miles of 7% at 30mph.

Remember to downshift at the top - before you get going downhill. Take it nice and slow - you'll probably be following the semi trucks in the slow lane.

When you pick up 285 to Wheat Ridge you'll have 4 more passes to get through. The first is just south of Poncha Springs - a 5% downhill. The next 3 will be 5-6% downhill.

Have a good trip!

Hard to add anything to those informative instructions.

BOL,

[2gypsies1]

From Tusayan, AZ (Grand Canyon), it's best to take 64 east through the park to exit on Hwy 89 north. Going south to Williams to 89 will add more miles. 64 east is good for RVs.

At 89 go north to 160 at Tuba City and take 160 east to Durango. You'll pass Mesa Verde Nat'l Park if you haven't been there yet. Take a ranger tour for the best experience.

From Durango you'll have 335 miles to Wheat Ridge.

Agree...Wolf Creek is very doable with a RV and many do it, including us with a 40' motorhome. From Pagosa Springs you'll have an uphill. Then from the Pass you'll have 6% downhill at 25mph speed limit so no one is going fast. This will be 4 lanes. Then 2 miles of 7% at 30mph.

Remember to downshift at the top - before you get going downhill. Take it nice and slow - you'll probably be following the semi trucks in the slow lane.

When you pick up 285 to Wheat Ridge you'll have 4 more passes to get through. The first is just south of Poncha Springs - a 5% downhill. The next 3 will be 5-6% downhill.

Have a good trip!

[BarryG20]

Wolf Creek pass is not a real problem just as previous poster said you will not get up it in a hurry. It is a bit of long slog up (and what pass in CO isn't) but the road is good. Been over it literally hundreds of times granted mostly in my truck but even with the 5th wheel it is not a problem. Just take your time watch your speed going down. Big trucks and rv's use it everyday. 8ish years ago they added a tunnel on the east side approach that cut out a turn and widened the road to the east it is better than it was long ago. On the east side from the tunnel to treasure falls waterfall at the base of the west side it is 3 lane nice and wide. From Pagosa to west base excellent road. From east tunnel to South Fork is mostly great road a short stretch that is narrower than one might like but it is still plenty good. South Fork to Del Norte is great road. Turn off in Del Norte to catch 285 instead of going to Monte Vista as it will save you about 10 miles and is great road. 285 is fine all the way to Denver.

[bobcatcharlie]

Have done this stretch in a 40 ft. and a 45 ft. several times. Just can't be in a hurry.