When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Looking for some help with planning a route in Co we are heading down to Denver in Aug for a concert at Red Rocks like to head down to see the Million dollar hwy from there we need to be up by casper as part the group heading to sturgis the rest is going onto Oregon cost..
need help with route from Denver to Durango then back north....
here what I have so far just not sure of time frame it will take to travel it as the mountains can really slow down travels.
285 to del norte then take 149 up to Gunnison 50 to 550 down to Durango from there will head north on 145 then 141 to grand junction.
not sure what the best route will be at this point...139 to 40 then 13 up to 80
I suggest the route below. It's a little different than what you said your plan is. It goes west on Hwy 50 to Gunnison instead of south to Del Norte. The portion of the ride south of Salida to Del Norte is pretty boring. So if you go west on 50 to Gunnison you will ride over Monarch Pass which is over 11,000 feet.
Then just west of Gunnison turn south on Hwy 149 which will take you through Lake City and then Creede. That's a very nice ride. Once 149 intersects with Hwy 160 you go west to Durango. This takes you over Wolf Creek Pass which is pretty impressive.
From Durango you ride north on 550 to Silverton and then continue north to Ouray, this portion is the Milion Dollar Hwy.
At Ridgway turn west on Hwy 62, go over the Dallas Divide and follow it until you intersect Hwy 145. Take 145 north to where it turns into Hwy 141 and follow it north through Gateway and on to Grand Junction. This road follows the Dolores River and is one of the most fun roads to ride anywhere. It's just sweeper after sweeper, very fun.
Your plan looks good. Here is a little addendum. From 50 take 92 to Hoschkiss and Delta, the 550 to Durango. When you leave Durango take 160 and 184 to Delores, and then 145. 139, 40 and 13 to 80 then 287/220 to Casper.
550 is the Million Dollar Highway, 92 is Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and 149 is Silver Thread.
In Lake City, eat lunch at the Alfred Packer Cannibal Café. Packer was a miner in the 1800's that got stranded in Lake City during the winter and ate his comrades. When you get to Ridgeway on the 145 leg, you will be there about lunch time. Try the True Grit Café. Also about 1 mile North of Ridgeway is the Dennis Weaver Park. It has very cool sculpture and only take a few minutes to see.
Plan on 4 days if you have the time. I have done most of this is less time, but you will want to do some sightseeing.
Falls on the Silver Thread
Dennis Weaver Park Ridgeway
Alfred Packer Café Lake City
Last edited by billnourse; May 18, 2016 at 08:51 AM.
thanks guys for the info that going be a lot help...
Robertwy i like that route alot this will give us more time for some looking and stopping. have you done this route? what kind time frame?
I just seen mesa verda and this is going to be a must see!!
Billnourse,
where about on 149 is that falls? those look pretty cool
like to take the trail in Durango but time will be a issue.
I'll be watching this thread. I'm considering riding out and staying in Avon, Colorado the last half of July. Then touring around the area from the hotel. I have heard there is alot of good riding around there.
thanks guys for the info that going be a lot help...
Robertwy i like that route alot this will give us more time for some looking and stopping. have you done this route? what kind time frame?
I just seen mesa verda and this is going to be a must see!!
Billnourse,
where about on 149 is that falls? those look pretty cool
like to take the trail in Durango but time will be a issue.
any must-see along Robertwys route?
Go to my website, the link is in my signature and look at my section of long trips. I've ridden this route several times. You can see the actual routes and a lot of pics on my website.
The falls are about halfway between Lake City and Creede just off County Road 510 on North Clear Creek. Zoom in on Google maps and you will find it. County Road 510 is on the South/East side of 149.
I suggest the route below. It's a little different than what you said your plan is. It goes west on Hwy 50 to Gunnison instead of south to Del Norte. The portion of the ride south of Salida to Del Norte is pretty boring. So if you go west on 50 to Gunnison you will ride over Monarch Pass which is over 11,000 feet.
Then just west of Gunnison turn south on Hwy 149 which will take you through Lake City and then Creede. That's a very nice ride. Once 149 intersects with Hwy 160 you go west to Durango. This takes you over Wolf Creek Pass which is pretty impressive.
From Durango you ride north on 550 to Silverton and then continue north to Ouray, this portion is the Milion Dollar Hwy.
At Ridgway turn west on Hwy 62, go over the Dallas Divide and follow it until you intersect Hwy 145. Take 145 north to where it turns into Hwy 141 and follow it north through Gateway and on to Grand Junction. This road follows the Dolores River and is one of the most fun roads to ride anywhere. It's just sweeper after sweeper, very fun.
That's my
+1 on this ride. I did this very ride a few years ago from Poncha Springs to Ridgeway and its a very good ride. There's a book a motorcycle guy wrote called the Colorado Book and I don't know if he still posts on here but he used to and he suggested this route. He also said if you had a choice it was much better to ride the Million Dollar Hwy. from south to north. I've rode all over and the Million Dollar Hwy. is truly amazing, a ride so good I'd pay to ride it.
This ride starts with you riding across 50 and across the Monarch Pass, don't forget to stop at the summit and get a picture. The fun for me really started though when I turned onto 149. The speed limits on some parts of the road is 70mph and as you drop down into the valley you go through big sweeper after sweeper. Man what a blast!
I can't comment on the rest of the ride. After Ridgeway I headed back south down the backside past Telluride to Cortez. That too was a pretty tasty ride.
I hope to redo the ride in a couple months. I'm starting this time riding up Mt. Evans which is the highest paved road in the U.S., higher then Pikes Peak. Its not far from Red Rocks. It's about 30 miles from Evergreen where we're staying so I'd guess it's maybe 40 from Red Rocks. They say on a clear day you can see 75% of Colorado from the summit. That sounds kind of far fetched to me but thats what they say. If you look up favorite attractions of Denver its consistently in the top 5.
Slideshow: Jason Momoa's latest restoration project blends 1920s Harley-Davidsons with modern electric technology, creating some of the most unusual hybrid motorcycles ever built.
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom
Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Colorado
