The road is entirely paved, but is only able to be fully accessed during the months of May or June through October due to snow in the winter months. Much of the drive is above the treeline, and sightings of marmots, bighorn sheep, elk, and other wildlife are common. The cliff-hugging highway is as impressive for its engineering as for its stunning vistas. A “bucket list must-do” for many, this road is the highest continuous paved road in the country that eventually ends up in the picturesque mountain town of Estes Park.Īt its highest elevation, Trail Ridge Road reaches 12,183 feet. Trail Ridge Roadīeginning in the town of Grand Lake, Trail Ridge Road travels east through Rocky Mountain National Park and has some of the best views in the area. Hiking is easily accessible in many areas, as is fly fishing as the road runs nearby the Williams Fork River for much of the drive. Be on the lookout as you pass by the Henderson Mill and Williams Fork Reservoir. It’s one of the best scenic drives in Colorado.Īlong this route, you’ll experience pristine views of true Rocky Mountain wilderness as you weave your way through the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Ute Pass is a popular scenic route for locals that is used to travel between the towns of Parshall, about 15 miles west of Granby, and Silverthorne. Be sure to plan ahead if you would like to hike or camp in this area. Although National Forest land is accessible, it passes through a few private ranching properties. Amenities Two baseball/softball fields Community playground Football/soccer field Horse stables Restrooms Scenic overlook and drive Picnicking (including. This route is a bit “off the beaten path” and allows you to view free range livestock grazing in the surrounding fields as well as beautiful natural streams and seclusion. It’s especially beautiful in September when the leaves turn to gorgeous golds, oranges, and reds. This road is best traveled from May through October as snow makes it unpassable during the late fall and winter months. It begins off of US Hwy 40 about 4 miles southeast of Granby, eventually looping you west around to the town of Hot Sulphur Springs. Cottonwood Pass (County Road 55)Ĭottonwood Pass Road is a scenic route that takes you through aspen trees, pine forests, and some of the surrounding mountains. In Hot Sulphur Springs, there are even hot spring pools available for soaking if you want a break during the drive. You can explore Lake Granby by boat, discover whitewater rafting or fishing on the Colorado River, or even take a hike on one of the many trails you will encounter along the way. See more ideas about colorado, beautiful places, scenery. ![]() There are many outdoor activities and Rocky Mountain adventures to be had while traveling this route. Explore Donna Petersons board 'Colorful Colorado', followed by 341 people on Pinterest. The road follows the bends of the Colorado River, eventually bringing you on a gravel road through Upper Gore Canyon and all the way to the town of State Bridge. The Colorado River Headwaters Scenic Byway is around 80 miles in its entirety, passing through the towns of Grand Lake, Granby, Hot Sulphur Springs, and Kremmling. Starting at the mouth of the Colorado River in Rocky Mountain National Park, this scenic byway is one not to miss if you’re traveling to Granby. So get out your roadmaps–here are some beautiful scenic drives that shouldn’t be missed when you visit Granby. It is near impossible to cover all of this area by foot, but you can explore some incredible places by car. When we left at 9:45 am, people were parked over a mile down HWY 285 on both sides of the road and the traffic was a crawl for what I would estimate as being the last 10 miles on 285.The scenery in and around Granby is absolutely stunning and worth exploring. The West parking lot was already full, there was space in the East lot and the road leading to the restrooms was starting to fill up. We left Littleton at 5:40 am, got there about 7am and we were not even close to the first ones there. Also, this goes without saying but get there early if you're not a huge fan of traffic. All trails I have done are out and back so keep that in mind. I think both the West and East side are beautiful, when we went this year we hiked the Colorado trail on the East side, there are some beautiful openings on this trail, the first about a 1/2 mile in and the next probably 1 mile further. Estes Park is in one of the worlds most beautiful locations, surrounded on all sides by. Other than going to Aspen, this is the most beautiful collections of Aspens I have ever seen. Escape to Estes Park, Colorado Explore Rocky Mountain National Park. But, this is the place to go in the fall for the Aspens. ![]() We hike fairly often, so I would not call any of these trails a "hike" they are all mostly flat, and there are no switch-backs making this easy for any ability level.
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