5 Road Trips from Denver That Are Worth the Drive
Denver is a good city. But the reason most people live here, or visit here, is what is west of it. The mountains start 45 minutes from downtown and do not stop for 200 miles.
These are five drives we have done many times. Each one leaves Denver in the morning and puts you somewhere worth being by afternoon.
1. Denver to Steamboat Springs
Distance: 160 miles
Drive time: 3 hours
Best season: Winter for skiing. Summer for the hot springs and Yampa River.
Take I-70 west to Silverthorne, then Highway 9 north to Kremmling, then Highway 40 west to Steamboat. The stretch from Kremmling to Steamboat through the Yampa Valley is wide open ranch country. Hay bales. Cattle. The kind of Colorado that does not make the Instagram accounts.
One stop to make: Rabbit Ears Pass. Pull off at the summit (9,426 feet) and walk the short trail to the rock formations that give the pass its name. In winter, the snow-loaded trees along the pass are worth a pause even from the car.
Where to eat: Cafe Diva in Steamboat. A small fine dining spot that has been good for years. The seared duck breast is the order. Entrees $35 to $50. Reservations recommended.
Where to stay: The Steamboat Grand if you want a proper hotel. For something with more character, try the Nordic Lodge. Clean, affordable, and walking distance to the springs.
2. Denver to Telluride (via 285 and Monarch Pass)
Distance: 330 miles
Drive time: 6 hours
Best season: Summer and fall. Some passes close in winter.
This is a long day behind the wheel, but the route is the point. Take Highway 285 south out of Denver through South Park. Continue to Poncha Springs. Take Highway 50 west over Monarch Pass (11,312 feet). Drop into Gunnison, then south on Highway 145 through Placerville into Telluride.
This is not the fastest way to Telluride. It is the best way.
One stop to make: Monarch Pass summit. The continental divide. There is a small gift shop and observation point. Walk a few hundred yards along the ridge for views in every direction. In fall, the aspens on the west side of the pass are exceptional.
Where to eat: La Cocina de Luz in Telluride. Green chile, fish tacos, mole enchiladas. $14 to $22 per plate. No reservations. Arrive early.
Where to stay: The New Sheridan Hotel on Colorado Avenue. Built in 1891. The rooms are updated but the building has its history intact. The bar downstairs is one of the great saloon bars in the West.
3. Denver to Estes Park
Distance: 70 miles
Drive time: 1.5 hours
Best season: Fall for elk rut. Summer for Trail Ridge Road. Spring for fewer crowds.
The shortest drive on this list and the most accessible from Denver. Take I-25 north to Highway 36 west through Boulder and Lyons. The canyon drive from Lyons to Estes Park follows the Big Thompson River through a narrow valley that tightens as you climb.
One stop to make: The Stanley Hotel. You do not need to stay here. Walk the grounds. Look at the mountains from the front porch. The hotel opened in 1909 and it looks it, in the right way. Stephen King stayed in Room 217 and wrote "The Shining" afterward.
Where to eat: Bird & Jim. Farm-to-table without the attitude. The bison burger is the best burger within 50 miles of Rocky Mountain National Park. Entrees $18 to $35. Reservations are smart in summer.
Where to stay: If you camp, Moraine Park Campground inside Rocky Mountain National Park is the pick. For a hotel, the Ridgeline Hotel has clean rooms and decent views. Avoid the chain motels on the main strip.
4. Denver to Ouray
Distance: 325 miles
Drive time: 5.5 hours
Best season: Summer for jeep trails. Winter for ice climbing and hot springs. Fall for color.
Take I-70 west to Grand Junction, then Highway 50 south to Montrose, then Highway 550 south to Ouray. The last 30 miles from Ridgway to Ouray are the setup. The valley narrows. The mountains close in. The town appears at the bottom of the canyon.
Alternatively, take Highway 285 south to Poncha Springs, then west on 50 to Montrose. Slightly longer but avoids I-70 traffic and passes through better country.
One stop to make: Ridgway State Park, 15 minutes north of Ouray. The reservoir sits below the Sneffels Range. It is one of the most scenic state parks in Colorado and almost nobody from Denver knows about it. Walk the shoreline trail. Have lunch at the picnic area.
Where to eat: Buen Tiempo in Ouray. Carne asada plate. Green chile. Margarita. Under $25 a person. No reservations. Get there before 6.
Where to stay: Box Canyon Lodge. Simple rooms. Natural hot spring tubs out back. Fall asleep after a soak. It is the right way to end the drive.
5. Denver to Crested Butte (via Kebler Pass)
Distance: 230 miles (plus 30 miles on Kebler Pass)
Drive time: 4.5 hours to Paonia, plus 1.5 hours on Kebler Pass to Crested Butte
Best season: Fall. This is a fall color drive first and everything else second.
Take I-70 west to Glenwood Springs, then Highway 133 south through the Crystal River Valley to Paonia. From Paonia, take Highway 133 to the Kebler Pass turnoff (County Road 12). Kebler Pass is a dirt road that crosses through the largest aspen grove in North America and drops into Crested Butte.
The drive from Glenwood Springs to Paonia through Redstone and McClure Pass is excellent on its own. Adding Kebler makes it one of the great driving days in the state.
One stop to make: Redstone. A tiny town along the Crystal River with a single row of historic cottages and a landmark inn. Stop at the Redstone General Store for coffee. Walk along the river. It takes 15 minutes and it resets the drive.
Where to eat: The Secret Stash in Crested Butte. Pizza in a converted house. The "Notorious F.I.G." with fig, prosciutto, and gorgonzola is the order. Pies run $20 to $28. The vibe is relaxed and loud in the right way.
Where to stay: The Old Town Inn in Crested Butte. Walking distance to Elk Avenue. Affordable by Crested Butte standards. No frills, but the town is the attraction, not the hotel room.
One More Thing
Leave Denver early. Before 7 AM if you are taking I-70. Weekend traffic through the Eisenhower Tunnel starts building by 8 and can add an hour or more to any westbound drive. The mountains are not going anywhere, but your patience will.
Every one of these drives puts Denver in the rearview and something better ahead. Pick one. Go.