Rocky Mountain Road Trip

Rocky Mountain Road Trip Highlights

Mount Evans Scenic Byway

Approximately 60 miles west of Denver, the Mount Evans Scenic Byway takes you on a 7,000 foot climb on magnificent Highway 5. Be prepared for a one-hour, 28 mile drive that will take you over 14,000 feet in altitude. It is the highest paved road in America that begins in Idaho Springs, an old gold mining town. Along your merry journey, you’ll see the Continental Divide, bristlecone pine trees, and an assortment of seasonal flowers. Pull off to see Echo Lake where you can picnic, hike or fish. Visit Echo Lake Lodge, a 1926 log cabin turned restaurant and gift shop. Be sure to take in views at the Mt. Evans Interpretive Site and at the Mt. Evans Welcome Station. What makes Mount Evans special is that it is the tallest peak in the Mount Evans Wilderness region, in the front range of the famous Rocky Mountains.

Pikes Peak and Garden of Gods

The Pikes Peak region, spanning the El Paso, Teller, and Fremont counties, offers plenty to see and do. If you want to go up to the top of Pikes Peak, named after American explorer Zebulon Pike, you can pay a fee and drive to the summit which will take about three to four hours, depending on how often you stop to fish or picnic. If you want to try something different, book a bike ride with an adventure outfitter who will drive you to the top, and let you ride straight down to the bottom.

Garden of the Gods is one of the most popular destinations in the Pikes Peak region once home to the Ute, Apache, and Cheyenne tribes. Always free of charge, the park features a trading post, café, and gift shop. You can scale boulders or hike through the red sandstone trails to spy on big horn sheep and mule deer if you are lucky. Dogs are welcome but must be on leash at all times. The area can also be experienced via Segway, horseback, jeep, and trolley. Cars can drive the scenic loop at 25 miles per hour which will take about 20 minutes. You will see spires, layers, and slabs of red rocks in eerie and towering formations. Thousands of years ago, the area was submerged under water, and today, the imprints and fossils of seashells and sea creatures remain.

Royal Gorge

In Southern Colorado, you’ll experience Royal Gorge at its fullest when you visit the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, an attraction in Ca֮֮non City. At 955-feet above the Arkansas River, this is the highest suspension bridge in the nation said to be 1,260 feet long. It takes about five minutes to walk the bridge, and if you stop to read all the signage, give yourself about 40 minutes. Other activities in the region include a zipline, rafting, and jeep tours. The Royal Gorge Railroad train chugs along a 24-mile track which takes about 2 hours. And if you only want to see the gorge itself, you can stop in the parking lot and hike the surrounding Royal Gorge Rim Trail, a 3.17 mile easy loop. Excited kids, big and small, can stop by the Royal Gorge Dinosaur Museum with interactive exhibits. To the north you can pay homage to the 600-acre Red Canyon Park with trails boasting red rocks and vertical spires in fascinating shapes and heights.

Rocky Mountain

This 415-square-mile national park features 600 mountain peaks, 300 miles of hiking trails, and five visitor centers. Drivers will be able to safely carve through on the paved Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road, both lined with overlooks highlighting scenes of alpine and subalpine meadows and mountains. Shuttle buses take visitors on general sightseeing of the flora, fauna, and animals such as mule deer, beaver, and black bears. Based in northern Colorado, Rocky Mountain allows for horseback riding, climbing, hiking, biking (bring your own bike), camping, and fishing. No lodging exists within the official park, but plenty of hotels and inns are located in the nearby community of Estes Park.

Lariat Loop

This national scenic byway is also billed as “40 miles of Western Adventure.” The Lariat Loop, west of Denver, was elevated to ranks of the National Registry of Historic Places in 1976 for its focused mission of bringing culture, nature, and history to the masses. Dinosaur experts will be enthralled with the Triceratops Trail, Dinosaur Ridge, and the Morrison Natural History Museum. Gourmands, art lovers, and shopaholics will discover treasures aplenty in the historic enclaves of Morrison, Evergreen, and Golden. Other popular sites include the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Colorado Railroad Museum, the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater, and the grand Boettcher Mansion.

Broadmoor Seven Falls

Dubbed the “grandest mile of scenery in Colorado,” Seven Falls is a natural wonder consisting of seven linked waterfalls inside a 1,250-foot-walled box canyon. It is so epic that the landmark has made the National Geographic list of top international waterfalls. Two challenging, steep hikes are accessible as well as a chance to join a 10-zip zipline tour. The dramatic landscape offers views of prairies and foothills within the South Cheyenne Canyon.

This family-friendly attraction does cost money, but you’ll be rewarded with photo and hiking opportunities, plus shopping at its retail store and rock and fossil gallery. Meals and snacks are also available. Since the falls are located behind The Broadmoor hotel, do take time to wander the opulent hotel grounds festooned with Western art and manmade lagoons.