Colorado is one of the most diverse and beautiful states in the western USA (in my humble opinion).
It had been high on my bucket list for a while, so when we finally got the chance to road trip Colorado in our very own campervan (that we shipped from the UK), I was super excited.
I did a lot of planning and research to come up with the ultimate Colorado road trip itinerary, and to make your life a little bit easier, I’m going to reveal all my thoughts and the destinations you need to visit.
I hope you’re ready because this itinerary is going to be busy (with a couple of slower days to catch your breath), but it will take you through some of the best places to visit in Colorado!
Here’s the route that we talk about below:
Our actual route was only slightly different, as it formed a part of our much larger 3 month West Coast USA road trip.
But for practical purposes, the route below makes everything much easier to understand and we indeed went everywhere laid out!
First up...
Like I said before, we shipped our own campervan over from the UK for our Colorado road trip.
However, the likelihood is you’re going to need to sort your vehicle out once you arrive in the state.
You’ll want to consider the amenities and facilities which are a must for your road trip in Colorado, so you can find the vehicle that’s exactly right for you.
A great way to find the perfect vehicle is to use a motorhome rental agency. We love GoSee.
As one of the largest rental agencies in the world, there’s no doubt you can rely on them to find the ideal vehicle for you.
Hiring a vehicle is the cheapest way to explore Colorado. Especially if you wild camp along the way!
And with a low price guarantee, using GoSee is a great way to keep costs down on your road trip.
All you need to do is put your road trip dates into the website and see what vehicles are available within your budget.
Make sure you research the best Colorado RV rentals so you can find the vehicle that’s the perfect fit for you.
For those who'd prefer not to hire a large vehicle, then check out our guide to the best car rental sites!
Our recommendation would be to start your Colorado road trip in Denver.
It’s really easy to fly there, and once you arrive there’s loads of options for RV rentals here.
Our Colorado road trip itinerary starts and ends in Denver, making for an easy to follow loop!
However, if like us, you will be coming into Colorado from another state, then it’s easy to pick up and join in wherever.
Indeed, for us we actually entered from northeastern Utah before leaving once again into southeastern Utah.
If you're interested in combining a visit to this other state (which by the way you 100% should!) then check out our Utah road trip guide as well.
There are so many fantastic places to visit in Utah like the cities of Moab and Salt Lake City, and of course the five national parks.
We visited in the summer months (mid-June to September) and it wasn’t a bad time to visit, it was just super warm.
June through to October is generally considered the best time to visit as there are amazing opportunities to enjoy hiking trails, water sports and drive through the mountain passes.
If you’re visiting Colorado and want to escape the sun, then head to the Colorado Rocky Mountains, and the villages of Aspen and Vale.
Although it gets hot in the low elevations in the summer, you can easily head to the mountains to cool off.
But if it’s wintery magic you’re after, then Colorado in the winter (from December to mid-March) is definitely for you.
Colorado is a great place for skiing, and if you're looking for some fresh powder, February is the best time to visit.
Autumn and spring are very much the ‘off season’ in Colorado. Of course you are promised less crowds during this time, however there are some challenges.
The weather in the spring can be very unpredictable so your packing list will be crammed full of everything from a thin t-shirt to a thick winter jacket.
On top of this, a lot of the mountain town businesses close for the quiet seasons in order to save money, and take their own holidays.
Yes, two nights in Denver is needed as there is a lot to see in this hip city!
There are lots of great things to do in Denver.
It’s the state capital and most populous city of Colorado so you’ll definitely want to spend some time looking around.
The city has a lot going for it, including the unique fact that it’s exactly one mile above sea level, and also boasts 300 sunshine days a year!
From sports, arts, the great outdoors, eateries and breweries, there’s something for everyone in Denver.
To see the best of the city, you can check out this 1.5 hour walking tour and see whether it's worth purchasing the Denver City Pass!
Here are some of our top recommendations to check out in the area:
You’ll likely need almost all of the full second day in Denver, so in the evening it’s time to make the short drive to Colorado Springs.
Make sure you look out for ‘Castle Rock’ on the journey south.
You’ll arrive in Colorado Springs in the evening.
Colorado Springs is a brilliant city with some incredible landscapes, and an elevation of 6,035ft.
Closeby to the city is Pikes Peak, which was carved by glaciers just a few million years ago.
This is a key landmark in Pike National Forest, with lots of hiking trails and a cog railway which leads to its summit at over 14,000 feet.
Depending on the time of year you’re doing your Colorado road trip, there might still be some daylight hours left once you arrive in Colorado Springs to enjoy some sightseeing.
If not, don’t worry. You can spend day 3 really getting to know all the sights of Colorado Springs!
Our highlights include:
It’s time to hit the road and head toward our first Colorado National Park.
With sand dunes reaching up to 750ft tall, Great Sand Dunes National Park is home to the tallest sand dunes in North America!
And if that alone isn’t enough to persuade you to visit then its wetlands, alpine lakes, forests, tundra, grasslands and stunning night skies might just sway you.
It’s rated an International Dark Sky Park, so stargazing here on a moonless night is a must.
The park’s high elevation makes it susceptible to tough winter conditions and snowfall anytime from November all the way through to April.
It's located on the eastern side of the San Luis Valley, and evidence of human inhabitants here dates back about 11,000 years with the Southern Ute Tribe.
The first European to enter the valley was Diego de Vargas, a Spanish governor who arrived in the late 17th century.
Many other explorers followed throughout the years, and by the late 19th century settlers ranched, farmed and mined in the valley.
In 1932 the park was first established as a national monument to help preserve it and protect it from gold mining.
Great Sand Dunes was granted National Park status in 2004.
It's a really cool and unique place, and somewhere you can actually go sandboarding, or even walk up the sand dunes (I don’t recommend it in the intense heat).
TOP TIP: purchase a national parks pass!
This will always be my top piece of advice for anyone road tripping America, and planning on ticking off some of the country’s incredible National Parks.
The pass costs $80 a year, which might sound expensive, but stay with me…
They grant you access to over 2000 recreation areas.
And 100% of your $80 is invested in the improvement and maintenance of these areas.
If you’re paying for National Park fees as you go you’re looking at $30-40 every time, so the $80 annual pass really is great value for money!
And of course, you have access for the entire year!
Each pass can have up to 2 owners, and it permits the pass owner and all passengers in a non-commercial vehicle to enter the park.
After spending some time at the park, head back in your vehicle and get driving to the next destination.
Mesa Verde National park is one of the highlights of this Colorado road trip itinerary, but it takes around 3.5 hours of driving to get there. For this reason, it may be a good idea to make a stop near Durango Colorado, if you have the time.
This is our favourite national park in Colorado and probably my favourite stop on this whole Colorado road trip itinerary.
This place is spectacular and full of history (something the USA lacks in general, because it’s so new!)
Mesa Verde is full of dwellings built by Ancestral Puebloans from 1190 to 1260. You can visit a lot of the sites via driving and short walks or take guided tours to some of the dwellings for a more informative interaction.
You can easily spend a full day exploring the park as different sites open at different times.
Planning is key for your trip to Mesa Verde!
If you want to visit the most popular dwellings, they will need to be pre booked, and we suggest you book them ahead of time.
We actually ended up being very unplanned in the middle of the summer tourist season and only got to physically visit one dwelling, The Step House. This was due to it being the only one you don’t need a guide for. It was awesome, but it would have been great to see more of Mesa Verde!
You can also stay overnight/camp in the park.
Some other great things to do in Mesa Verde are:
Don’t forget to get your annual National Parks Pass to save money on National Park entry fees.
Montrose is an area in Colorado with a lot of wineries, so you can try some local Colorado wine.
As wine lovers, we couldn’t NOT include a wine region on this Colorado Road trip itinerary.
Also, Montrose is a great stop before our NEXT national park in the area which we will be exploring on day 7.
Our two favourite wineries in this area have to be Mountain View Winery and LaNoue DuBois Winery.
Mountain View Winery is a family run winery that’s been in the family for three generations.
This organic vineyard is open all year round.
Their on site tasting room is on hand to give you a taste of the intense and subtle flavours from the fresh Colorado soil and mountain air.
It’s also a very family friendly vineyard as they have an orchard for fruit and veg picking, open throughout the spring and autumn.
La Noue DuBois is another family run winery and vineyard. Boasting an on-site tasting room decorated with wood from the local family farm, it's the perfect place to relax and sample some of the delicious wines on offer.
This room can even be hired out for business meetings and special events.
It’s accompanied by a large outdoor patio area, with stunning views of the San Juans, picnic tables and sun umbrellas.
At La Noue DuBois, they pride themselves on their sustainable farming practices used on the vineyard. 15 acres across the site use a solar powered irrigation system which is pretty impressive.
They don’t use herbicides or pesticides, and all weeding is done by hand.
Here's some more information on the best things to do in Montrose!
Day 7 sees us take on our third National Park of this Colorado Road Trip itinerary.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is home to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rocks, and craggiest spires in the whole of North America.
The history of the Black Canyon dates back to practically the dawn of time.
About 60 million years ago the Gunnison Uplift took place. This was when a small area of land uplifted, exposing 1.8 billion year old metamorphic rock to high elevations!
Then some 30 million years later, large volcanoes erupted either side of this ‘uplift’, burying it in volcanic rock.
Just 2 million years ago, the Gunnison River started to flow, which over time eroded all the volcanic rock cutting a deep canyon in the metamorphic rock below.
This formed what we know today as the deep, steep, and narrow Black Canyon of Gunnison.
This entire, 60 million year long process is referred to as grow, blow and flow!
Steep canyon offers hiking, camping & scenic views of the Gunnison River & the Painted Wall cliff.
There are a variety of different hikes that are worth checking out and these are split between the North Rim and the South Rim.
For the North Rim, popular options include Chasm View Nature Trail and North Vista Trail, whereas along the South Rim you've got the Rim Rock Nature Trail and the Warner Point Nature Trail.
North Vista Trail incorporates Exclamation Point, where there are some of the best inner-canyon views.
The trail then continues to Green Mountain where there’s panoramic vistas including the San Juan Mountains, the West Elks, Grand Mesa, the Uncompahgre Plateau, as well as an aerial perspective of the Black Canyon.
There are also some fantastic driving routes within this National Park. One of the best has to be the South Rim Drive, the main road to access all viewpoints and hiking trails.
There are 12 viewpoints along the way, most of which are worth stopping at to see the canyon from a variety of perspectives.
Although the road is only 7.2 miles long, there’s so much to see along the way so allow plenty of time for this drive.
If you’re short of time, some of the best viewpoints to check out are Gunnison Point, Pulpit Rock, Chasm View, Painted Wall and Sunset View.
Depending on when you’re visiting, be aware that drinking water might not be available in the park. From late autumn, to mid spring there is no drinking water here.
Also ensure you are bear aware throughout your visit! Especially if you're hiking.
Save money on all the National Park entry fees by getting a national parks pass. This will help keep costs down on this Colorado road trip itinerary.
This beautiful drive will include a stop at Glenwood Springs, which is a really cute town that also has some pretty epic hot springs!
There’s some amazing activities to do here, all of which differ depending on the season.
Winter is the perfect time to enjoy skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling or snowshoeing.
In the summer there are some great climbing opportunities, as well as hiking the Hanging Lake Trail and aerial activities such as skydiving and paragliding.
No matter the season, it’s always worth experiencing the Glenwood hot springs.
There are 3 amazing hot springs to choose from, the most famous being Glenwood Hot Springs Resort which is a historic attraction and home to the largest hot springs in the world.
Iron Mountain Hot Springs are the newest hot springs in Glenwood, opening in 2015. These are home to 17 soaking pools and a family pool, overlooking the Colorado River.
Last but not least is Yampah Spa and Vapour Caves which is one of the only places in the world where guests can enjoy a natural, geothermal steam bath.
It’s definitely worth setting aside an hour or two for a dip at one of these amazing hot springs, before heading to the beautiful mountains of Aspen.
Aspen is found in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains and is a popular, and famous, ski resort town. But it’s a year round destination for outdoor activities and recreation!
There are plenty of high end restaurants and boutiques in Aspen, as well as landmarks such as the Wheeler Opera House.
Some of the best things to do in Aspen include:
Here's some more information on the top things to do in Aspen!
So it’s important to note that the Independence Pass is CLOSED for certain parts of the year.
Independence Pass is a scenic mountain road at 12,095 ft. above sea level, which features a fantastic vista viewpoint. It forms part of the Colorado State 82 Highway.
The road is about 32 miles long altogether, a journey which can take anywhere between 45 and 90 minutes depending on how often you stop.
And stop you will as there are so many scenic spots along the way!
The road twists and turns around the sunning groves of aspen trees, boasting stunning views of the roaring Fork River.
Sadly if you're planning your Colorado road trip for winter, you won’t be able to experience Independence Pass, as it's closed during the winter season. Ensure you check opening times before you plan your trip to this wonderful state.
If you're road-tripping in winter and the Independence Pass is closed, then we suggest you go straight from Glenwood Springs to Vail.
The destination for Day 9 of the 14 day Colorado road trip itinerary is Leadville, which sits at 10,152 feet above sea level, making it the highest incorporated city in North America!
It's a Victorian-era mining town, found within the Colorado rocky mountains.
Some of the best attractions in Leadville include:
Now you could add Vail in for 2 hours 51 minutes total driving, but it’s a little off route.
However, we absolutely recommend checking out Vail, even in non-ski season.
It’s a perfectly cute area to walk around, grab a coffee or lunch, and enjoy the fresh mountain air. We absolutely loved Vail!
Otherwise on your way to Boulder you should also make a quick stop at the Georgetown Loop Railroad.
It doesn’t take very long but the journey is super fun and worth it! We did this on our way to Boulder!
The Georgetown Loop Railroad is a narrow gauge US heritage railroad, and one of the most authentic living museums and historically immersive experiences in Colorado.
The tourist train runs between Georgetown and Silver Plume, weaving through mountainous terrain and ascending to an elevation of 640 feet.
Yet another national park creeps onto this Colorado Road Trip itinerary.
The Rocky Mountain National Park has a huge array of mountain landscapes. With meadows, mountains and alpine lakes, there’s something for everyone.
This national park is home to over 300 miles of hiking trails, with opportunities for incredible wildlife viewing.
There are between 600 and 800 elks in the Rocky Mountain National Park, as well as 350 bighorn sheep, mule deer, and some moose.
The park is best seen and enjoyed from a hiking trail, with the shortest and most popular hike being the Bear Lake hike!
Other popular hikes include Gem Lake, Alpine Ridge Trail, Twin Sisters and Sky Pond.
Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved road in the entire US national park system.
11 miles of the 48 mile road is located above the treeline in the alpine tundra, with the highest point of the road being at 12,183 feet.
Driving the Trail Ridge Road is a must when visiting the Rocky Mountain National Park.
Other great places to visit here are Holzwarth Historic Site, Alberta Falls, and Moraine Park, or why not try your hand at mountaineering?
Boulder is a city in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It's best known for its breweries, food scene, exciting downtown and range of outdoor activities.
Boulder was also named one of America’s most artistic towns, as well as the third most creative small city in America.
Pearl Street is a great place for shopping in downtown Boulder, and there’s a fantastic variety of tours available throughout the city.
Some of the most popular outdoor activities here include biking, kayaking, rafting, and hiking.
You'll find plenty of things to do in Boulder but honestly, within the National Park itself is where you'll want to spend the majority of your time!
If you've enjoyed the Rockies (which I guarantee you will) then you'll want to make sure the state of Alaska is on your bucket list - its home to some fantastic national parks.
Just a short drive today to an awesome city which you will definitely need a few days exploring! We have a full guide on the best things to do in Fort Collins.
As you’ll see from our guide there’s so much to see and do in this city, which is why we’ve dedicated two whole days of the Colorado road trip itinerary to spending time here!
Some of our top highlights include:
If you've got some extra time here then why not check out this ghost tour or old town food tour?
After Fort Collins it’s a short drive back to Denver to drop your rental off and get a flight home!
Yes if travelling in peak season and wanting to stay within the national park campsites.
You can reserve all your campsites on this website and remember that boondocking (wild/free camping) is not legal within the national parks themselves.
You may be able to find places just outside the national park boundaries, but if you park within the national parks, you will be fined and asked to move on.
We recommend Harvest Hosts as an alternative to campsites.
With Harvest Hosts you can stay on farms, wineries, distilleries and many more places for free in exchange for purchasing a product.
The two wineries we mentioned in Montrose are included so you can stay there overnight and enjoy a bottle of local wine!
For hotels in cities such as Fort Collins and Denver, we recommend using booking.com and specifically for Fort Collins, we can recommend the Armstrong Hotel!
It can be, especially if you're paying daily entrance fees to the national parks, but buying a national parks pass will alleviate some of those costs.
If you’re camping in a van/tent then make your own breakfast/lunch and dinner. Make sure you check the campsite amenities before you book to check there’s the right facilities on site.
And if you want to prepare meals on board, ensure your vehicle has the right amenities. Check out our guide to the best RV rentals in Colorado to find the vehicle that best suits your needs.
RV rental incurs lots of additional costs besides the initial rental fee. Costs for fuel, taxes, tolls, insurance, mileage and campsite fees need to be taken into account when planning a trip to Colorado.
Of course, hotels or Airbnbs are another accommodation option for this Colorado road trip itinerary. These are certainly more expensive, so to keep costs down try and find somewhere with access to cooking facilities, to save money on eating out.
You’ll need to have your ultimate packing list ready for a Colorado road trip, in order to ensure you’re prepared for all activities and conditions.
So that rounds up our 2 week Colorado Road Trip Itinerary!
Hopefully this guide has inspired you to visit this beautiful state. Knowing how to start to plan a trip to Colorado can be overwhelming, but hopefully we have helped you in the right direction.
For the best experience, make sure you book your campsites and attractions in advance like this Denver City Pass!
We would love to hear about your own Colorado road trip, whether it’s a 4, 5, 6, or 16 day Colorado itinerary!
Drop us a comment below to share your adventures with us.
Did you follow our Colorado road trip itinerary?
Or did you put your own spin on it? We’d love to hear all the details!
If you're exploring more of the United States then here are some other articles you may find helpful:
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