This 12-day road trip takes you on a topographic feast for the eyes and soul, through five national parks, from high-mountain vistas to arches, canyons and Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. It also includes two epic train rides and a taste of Colorado's wine country.

 

Travel Tips

Since this tour includes five national parks, it's essential to secure your accommodations early, as things book up fast during high season, generally late May to mid-October. Also, since this is a loop, you just as easily flip the script and follow it in reverse. 

 

Day 1: Arrive in Denver

Arrive at Denver International Airport (DEN), which offers nonstop service to more than 200 worldwide destinations, for a two-night stay in the Mile High City. 

 

Day 2: Downtown Denver

 

Your adventure begins with a full day of exploring Denver. 

Experience the walkable Lower Downtown (LoDo), the Victorian buildings of Larimer Square, the opulent Denver Union Station and the 16th Street pedestrian promenade with its free shuttle buses. Or, visit the unique, urban neighborhoods like Highland and RiNo   (River North Art District).

Sample craft beer and farm-to-table cuisine throughout the city, at chef-owned must-try restaurants, rooftop patios and craft breweries.

Explore Denver's Western history at the History Colorado Center and the Black American West Museum and take a piece of that rich history home from the family-owned Rockmount Ranch Wear store in the heart of the city, where the first snap-button cowboy shirt was invented. Also, see the renowned Indigenous Arts of North America collection at Denver Art Museum.

See live music under the stars at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, where the stage is as captivating as the music itself. During the day, Red Rocks is a free city park with easy hiking trails.

 

Day 3: Estes Park/Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP)

Distance from Denver to RMNP: 67 miles (108 miles)

RMNP has the highest continuous motorway in the United States, hundreds of lakes and 77 mountains taller than 12,000 feet.

Unless you're planning on camping in RMNP, Estes Park has a variety of accommodations such as cabins, hotels and campgrounds. Please note that during the high season (late May to mid-October), there is a timed-entry reservation system to access popular parts of the park. See our guide on how to enjoy RMNP. 

Highlights: wildlife viewing, scenic drives, hiking

 

Day 4: Vail/Grand Junction/Palisade, Colorado

 

Distance from Estes Park to Vail: 137 miles (220 km)

Distance from Vail to Grand Junction: 148 miles (238 km)

As you're heading down Interstate 70, Vail makes for a nice side trip. Modeled after European ski towns, it's a great place to stroll, enjoy patio dining and shop during the warmer months. You can take a scenic gondola ride, stop by the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens and visit the Colorado Snowsports Museum. The museum has a special exhibit dedicated to the Army's 10th Mountain Division, which trained nearby at Camp Hale during World War II and whose members started ski resorts, including Vail Mountain, after the war. 

Another cool side trip, in between Vail and Grand Junction, is stopping at Glenwood Springs for a soak in the Grand Pool at Glenwood Hot Springs or Iron Mountain Hot Springs. 

Near Grand Junction, you can get a taste of Colorado's wine country by staying in Palisade at the Wine Country Inn, an 80-room Victorian-style hotel set in working vineyards.

Highlights: hiking, outdoor dining, gardens, ski resort culture

 

Day 5: Moab, Utah

Distance from Grand Junction to Moab: 112 miles (180 km)

Famous for mountain biking, off-road driving and dramatic landscape photography, Moab is a bucket-list town that provides visceral contrasts from red rock canyons to the Colorado and Green rivers. Only minutes from town, Arches National Park, home to thousands of sandstone arches, is the perfect way to get to know this part of the Colorado Plateau with short walks to some of the biggest attractions in the park. 

Highlights: arches, hiking, sightseeing 

 

Day 6: Moab, Utah

Yet another national park beckons. Canyonlands National Park is only a short drive from Moab, where erosion worked its magic in other ways to create mesas, canyons and buttes. The park was a favorite place for writer Edward Abbey, whose musings remain as timeless as the surroundings. You more than likely have seen photos of Island in the Sky and the Needles, but it's another thing to see these sights for real. Dead Horse Point State Park provides an overlook of the Colorado River and the national park. 

Highlights: canyons, hiking, wildlife viewing 

 

Day 7: Mesa Verde National Park

 

Distance from Moab to Mesa Verde: 145 miles (233 km)

This World Heritage site is known for its Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. You'll learn all about the people who lived here more than 700 years ago. The Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde's largest cliff dwelling, contains 150 rooms and 23 kivas (round, sunken rooms of ceremonial importance) and had a population of about 100 people.  The park is also home to some extremely rare plant species and wildlife like the Mexican spotted owl. 

Highlights: cliff dwellings, wildlife

 

Day 8: Durango, Colorado

Distance from Mesa Verde to Durango: 56 miles (90 km)

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad transports you back in time behind steam-operated locomotives through the San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado. Five trains operate during the peak of the season on the daily 90-mile round-trip excursion. You'll get to see areas that are only accessible by train. Durango is also an outdoor adventure capital. 

Highlights: train rides, hiking, whitewater rafting, zip-lining 

 

Day 9: Wolf Creek Pass/Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Distance from Durango to Great Sand Dunes: 165 miles (266 km)

At Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, see some of the highest inland sand dunes in the world, rising to 800 feet. The dunes change colors during the day with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the background. Caution: The dunes heat up quickly under the hot sun. Don't get caught up high without shoes. Dogs also need to be protected. It's easy for the pads on their paws to get severely burned. 

Highlights: dunes, hiking, wildlife viewing 

 

Day 10: Colorado Springs/Garden of the Gods/Pikes Peak

 

Distance from Great Sand Dunes to Colorado Springs: 165 miles (266 km)

Located in Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods is a magical place with 500-foot-high red sandstone rock monuments at the base of Pikes Peak. The park has more than 22 miles of trails ranging from beginner to advanced. Spend two or three hours here, then take a ride on the world’s highest and longest cog railway, the Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which climbs the 14,115-foot mountain. On the summit, you'll find a café. Seriously! Note: Buy your tickets in advance during the summer because the rides frequently sell out. You can also drive up Pikes Peak. It's one of two Colorado 14ers with a road to the summit (the other is Mount Blue Sky). Stay at the Garden of the Gods Resort and Club, Flying Horse Resort & Club, Cheyenne Mountain Resort or The Broadmoor. 

Highlights: hiking, sightseeing, train rides

 

Day 11: Return to Denver

Distance from Colorado Springs to Denver: 70 miles (113 km)

While Denver is known for its high-energy outdoor fun, it's also the perfect place to relax after your epic adventure. Check out these spas and wellness centers or hang out in the city's vast parks and green spaces.

 

Day 12: Departure from DEN 

We hope you enjoyed your adventure. DEN's restaurant scene has an unusually high concentration of local outposts where you can take one last taste of the city before you head home.