Colorado/Utah in 6 days
Sep 8th, 2018, 05:58 PM
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Colorado/Utah in 6 days
My husband and I are flying into Denver on a Friday night and are looking for loop travel itineraries for a 7 day road trip.....would love to include Zion but think that may be too far? Arches/Canyonland/RMNP are all good ideas for us. Would love your thoughts on how to space our trip out
Sep 9th, 2018, 10:14 AM
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Denver to Fruita via I-70, going through Colorado National Monument from Grand Junction to Fruita (or go directly to Moab, but a long day).
Fruita to Moab, taking the scenic route 128: check out Canyonlands and Arches.
Then to Monument Valley, back through SW Colorado via Durango or Cortez (Mesa Verde, Canyons of the Ancients)
Up through Montrose toward Monarch via Gunnison (Black Canyon of the Gunnison) to Denver.
Lots of driving, lots of scenery. IMO, Zion is too far to do much else than drive there and back.
Fruita to Moab, taking the scenic route 128: check out Canyonlands and Arches.
Then to Monument Valley, back through SW Colorado via Durango or Cortez (Mesa Verde, Canyons of the Ancients)
Up through Montrose toward Monarch via Gunnison (Black Canyon of the Gunnison) to Denver.
Lots of driving, lots of scenery. IMO, Zion is too far to do much else than drive there and back.
Sep 9th, 2018, 08:22 PM
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Good question fmpden. Makes all the difference which Friday. Imo, Silvia's suggested plan is way too much for your time constraints unless you just want drive by sightseeing. Figure about a full day to drive from Denver area to eastern Utah/western colorado in each direction. I would limit it to 1 day RMNP (provided time of year is conducive). Second day, leave RMNP and head over to Fishers Towers, Moab and Canyonlands for 3 days total (which would include the 2 1/2 hour drive from Moab to Mesa Verde) and 1 day at Mesa Verde. If you spend the night at Far View at Mesa Verde which I recommend, it will be about an 8 hour drive back to Denver airport via Pagosa Springs and Wolf Creek Pass with no major stops or detours.
Sep 10th, 2018, 05:29 AM
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For example: Denver to Fruita is 4 hours, from there to Moab 1.5 hours. Whether spending more time driving scenic routes or not (or stopping in Fruita or Moab), there's time for 1/2 day in Arches and the entry drive into Canyonlands (2 nights in Moab would give more flexibility). Moab to Monument is 3 hours (but stops for sights along the way, or Canyonlands in the a.m. then to Monument Valley). There to Cortez is 2.5 hours (if you want to do Canyons of the Ancients another time); Cortez to the top of Mesa Verde is about 1 hour.
That's the first 3 nights. After Mesa Verde, back whichever way you choose, is not difficult at all.
If night 4 is in Mesa Verde, next day is 5 hours to Gunnison ( next day Black Canyon?). Gunnison to Denver is about 3.5-4 hours.
So, there's plenty of driving, but there's also time to see a lot of sights along the way without doing the Chevy Chase Vacation version of the Grand Canyon ("uh huh, uh huh: now everybody back in the car!")
Lots of other ways, too, of course.
That's the first 3 nights. After Mesa Verde, back whichever way you choose, is not difficult at all.
If night 4 is in Mesa Verde, next day is 5 hours to Gunnison ( next day Black Canyon?). Gunnison to Denver is about 3.5-4 hours.
So, there's plenty of driving, but there's also time to see a lot of sights along the way without doing the Chevy Chase Vacation version of the Grand Canyon ("uh huh, uh huh: now everybody back in the car!")
Lots of other ways, too, of course.
