Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Colorado vacation ideas

This. I have hunted the area a bunch and we used to camp there annually with the boys. A raft trip on the Arkansas River is a great trip.

I live in Loveland and can give you some advice about RMNP and Estes Park.

RMNP is a cool place to see. I believe a person could spend a week just in the park, if you're wanting to hike and play around in nature. If you're just driving and window-viewing from a car, maybe a full day, or possibly two (to see most of the park you really need to be on foot). The park varies from 8,500' to over 12,500' so altitude IS going to take a youth's breath away and is something to consider. It is a great park, but probably not worth going out of your way to visit unless you're 100% committed to really exploring it on foot for the full week.

Estes Park has two t-shirt and salt water taffy shops for every resident. There really aren't any good restaurants, and it will be very crowded. Not worth the drive for me, and I live 30 min away. I'd go batchit crazy being stuck there for a WEEK.

The other thing is, that area isn't close to much else, so you'll waste a day getting in and out of there if you just want to visit for a day or two.

I'd strongly recommend the SW part of the state. Durango and the railroad is worth a day. Then hit Mesa Verde. Telluride/Ouray is incredible, with some great 4wd trails and a company in Telluride that rents Jeeps for the trails, plus great hiking. Black Canyon of the Gunnison is really cool and also down that way. You could also hit Royal Gorge heading to or from the airport.

--Duck911

I had a free weekend and hit the national forest at Woodlan Park a while back. It was pretty neat. I forgot all about the history museum till just now. I missed it.

You can pan for gold in Denver if you have a few extra hours one day.

Don't forget to [bleep] in the street while your in Denver, it's legal you know.

RMNP is wall to wall people and I don't find it any more spectacular than the rest of the state.

RMNP is nice and fairly close to Denver but expect crowds. No need to stop in Estes Park but be sure to bring food and drink or you'll be stuck in with the crowds. Go up Fall River Road if you go, it's a one way road you have to choose before you get going up the main road.

Years ago I would have pointed you to Rollins Pass but it doesn't go through to the western slope any more. It was fun back in the day to drive over the wooden trestles and have out of state visitors freaking out! It is really rough to drive now. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollins_Pass

The Southwest corner including Ouray and Silverton is my favorite area of the state.

Colorado tourist tickets are sold out for the season. Have to pick another state.

Maybe spend a day checking out the Indian rock art near Rangely, and Canyon Pintado.

Rock Art Link

And from Rangely it's a short drive to the Dinosaur national monument.

I think Cottonwood is closed this year. I don't remember if Tincup is a reasonable obtion for a detour. Nobody mentioned Walden area yet. Or go across 40 to Dinosaur. We are gonna overload these guys.

Ouray is a neat area. You can go on multiple 4X4 roads. RMNP is awesome too.

Do not miss Durango train ride to Silverton. They used to have a chose of open car or closed, take the open car, its a little dirty because of the coal fired train but worth it. Just be sure not to wear your good cloths. The Ore House is a good place in Durango.

Dang Alamosa you just reminded me of all the things I miss no longer going up on the Conejos.

One year we had some folks traveling with us (separate car) and they questioned why I flew over to the side of the road at a pickup selling produce.
A hundred some odd miles later when they bit into a piece of Rocky Ford Cantaloupe, they understood.

They like me were not cantaloupe fans, but the Rocky Ford went down pretty quickly.
NO cantaloupe is even a close second to one.

The valley is one amazing place both Arkansas River and San Luis.

Yes Oscars is probably THE place to stop in Alamosa, but the original Burrito Wagon in Taos may lack ambiance but makes up for it in taste.

RickyBobby
Unfortunately there are far more great things to see than you have time to get to in one vacation.

Each area of the state is almost a vacation in itself, especially if your vacation is only a week or so long.

If you are really want to go wheeling, I think it is "Black Bear Road" in the SW part of the state that will MORE THAN LIKELY satisfy your wheeling desires for a long time.
I think that is the one. There is a video of a group doing it out there on the internet some place.

I disagree on Black Bear. They are flatlanders, will have altitude sickness, not used to our rocky shelf roads. They could do Tincup, Hagerman, or Mosquito and get a feel for 4 wheeling, depending on if they actually can rent a 4 wheeler with proper low range. There are a lot of tamer things to do and still see the mountains. Some of the suggestions are so far we may as well tell them to drive to Yellowstone.

There was a time when the Jeep rental companies would not allow people to take their rentals over Black Bear Pass. I think that is the only one that we did not attempt in our own vehicle. The chamber of commerce may have smoothed out the road since then. Check with the locals on that. Road conditions vary from year to year.

Cottonwood is closed this year and next. It is being paved.

I am on vacation in Crested Butte right now. I have been all over this great state and while everywhere you go there is beauty to be found, nothing compares to Crested Butte. It is clean, quaint, safe and surrounded by public land. There are hiking and biking trails all over the place. Wildlife is abundant. They run the ski lift up the mountain year round. Your kid would love it. There's plenty of lodging, but it is kinda spendy. Bottom line RickyBobby is that there is no bad choice in CO once you go west of the front range. I will try to post some pics later if the afternoon rain pins me down. Now that Photobucket won't let me post pics, I have been putting all of mine on facebook. If you do facebook, send me a friend request (with an indication of who you are) and you can see all the photos I have been posting. This place is like heaven on earth.

Gonna be in Ouray the 24th for a week of wheeling with a large Nissan group. Lived in Grand Lake from 79-81. Ouray is a good 4 hour drive from Denver and a long way from RMNP.Hit RMNP, go down to Glenwood Springs, Leadville. Take Loveland Pass Hwy 6.You'll be worn out after 5 days. Don't spend any time in Estes Park.

Someone brought up something you should watch out for.
Altitude sickness . . . .

Most folks may have a low grade headache as a symptom.

Others have it get worse and suffer.

Research it and some of the ways to avoid/treat it while you are in the low lands

I was only kidding about Black Bear, you may want to do tha trip via youtube.

Rental companies will forbid you to do Black Bear and Poukipshi ? Gulch

Ditto on 'Don't do Black Bear Pass'. Several people have died trying to navigate that road. Mosquito Pass is great 4wheeling. Doable in high ground clearance SUV.

Check out traildamage.com for info on all 4wd roads in Co. and the west. Trail descriptions, each one rated by difficulty. From SUV trails to insane 'rock crawlers'.