Colorado in mid-July

[SerasLibre]

Pregnant wifey and I will be visiting Denver for a wedding mid-July (possibly with our 2-year old) for 7 days. We have decided to make a road-trip out of the visit, and as such, need some tips! We are looking to visit the top spots, either on-road or off. Amazing views and scenery are our highest priority. I'd rather avoid a trail if it only involves technical driving with no reward for the eyes.

This being said, here are my questions;
1. What place(s) should I add to my bucket list? - We don't mind staying in a different hotel every night if we need to.
2. What vehicle should I rent? - Unless someone here is willing to rent me their rig (I wish I could bring my LX470 but its not worth the $$ and time to drive from NJ), I will be renting a vehicle from relayrides. My two options at the moment are a Toyota Tacoma (double-cab with cap) or a Subaru Impreza XV Crosstrek. The subbie has decent ground clearance and mileage, but no low gear. The Tacoma has loads more room and off-road ability, but sucks on gas vs the Subbie.

As always, your input is appreciated!!

 

[subzali]

Getting up to the mountains away from the heat is always a good thing. You have many options. Breckenridge area with lake Dillon, winter park/granby, estes park. Or go further to glenwood springs or maybe even aspen. Or steamboat springs. Come to think of it hot springs may not be the best with pregnant wife. So I'd say Estes and Rocky Mountain national park.

However, closer towns like golden, Morrison, boulder, evergreen, Idaho springs and Georgetown also have a lot to offer from a touristy point of view. Boulder has the flat irons, Morrison has the iconic red rocks, between evergreen and Idaho springs is 14er mt Evans which is 1 of 2 you can drive to the top of, etc

If you want to go a little south Colorado Springs and manitou are cool. Drive to the top of pikes peak or take the cog railway, check out cave of the winds, etc.

...via IH8MUD app

 

[subzali]

Also Leadville and Buena vista are surrounded by the highest 14ers in the state, so that's a good option. Independence pass takes you over to aspen from there and offers some scenic views and then you can catch the maroon bells too.

All this stuff I mentioned you can access with the subie too.

...via IH8MUD app

 

[paflytyer]

I would also suggest having your wife speak to her doctor about flying in from NJ and driving up to high altitude right away. Acute Mountain Sickness is always a possibility and is not related to a persons general state of health. Some folks can handle the altitude and some can't. I suggest spending at least a full 24 hours in Denver prior to going above 8,000 feet (as long as her doctor says going above 8k feet is ok)

It's important to know the signs, they can be mild to life threatening. It's not something I would test with a pregnant wife and a 2-year old. Sea level to 14,000 feet is dangerous. Do that on your last day here after you know how your family adapts to high altitude. Just my .02

 

[SerasLibre]

paflytyer - thanks for the tip! Wifey will be staying in Denver for the first three days (Wed-Sat) while a friend and I do all the exploring beforehand. After Saturday I hope to bring Wifey back with me to explore some more.

Attached is a google maps snapshot of my plan. As you can see most of my wheeling will be in the Ouray/Silverton area. Can I pull this off in 5 days? Should I scratch any areas off my list?

 

[paflytyer]

If you mean 5 days total including back and forth from Denver, it's doable but really pushing it and not worth what you're trying to accomplish. It would be constant driving and nothing else. It's 6 hours from Denver to Ouray if you stay on pavement.

Bullion King and Clear Lake can be done together (but being up at either of them for sunrise should be the goal) Black Bear/Imogene or Ophir can also be done together. That's 4 of your 5 days. All this being said, a Subaru is not the best choice for any of those trails. They're not hardcore by any stretch, but they're high clearance 4x4 at the very least. They each have spots where you could easily damage something, even on the Tacoma. The start of Engineer Pass is not Subaru grade at all. Breaking down at any of those locations is going to cost you a considerable amount of time and money.

Also, there are a lot of events going on at the same time in that area. One of them being the FJ Summit. The trails are going to be BUSY. Owl Creek Pass and Last Dollar Rd are more suitable for a Subaru. There are so many great things to do OUTSIDE of your vehicle that I don't see the benefit of driving to the San Juan's just to drive around some more. Colorado is an outdoor mecca. Bring your hiking boots and see some of the beautiful things off the roads and outside of the car. Rent some camping gear from REI. It will be wildflower season while you're here, bring a good camera. Rent a mountain bike, ride the free gondola in Telluride, fish some of the waters, enjoy some of the local food and micro brew that Colorado is known for. Better yet, come back out in August with your 100 for 100s_in_the_Hills.
You can knock out all of the above mentioned things in one trip!

I think you're trying to jam too much driving into one small window. By all means, see some trails, but trying to hit every one in 3 days means sun-up til sun-down behind the wheel and IMO, that can be dangerous. I wouldn't recommend driving Black Bear alone for your first time. These are dangerous roads at high altitudes. A mistake, even a little one on some of them would be the last one made. How much offroad experience do you have?

Rising Sun 4x4 Club hosts many runs on the Front Range. I can absolutely set you up on some beautiful trails much closer to Denver and with a group of VERY experienced drivers. This is just my .02, you are free to do whatever you like.

 

[UGA LEE]

Ran all those trails last summer in our 100 series. I am so jealous. Hope you have a good time.

 

[Alan "Ace" Brown]

Paflyter knows his stuff and I agree that's too much in too small a window. Suggest you order a copy of Chuck Wells 4x4 Guidebook for Colorado and do some research. He has two volumes that are divided east and west along I-70. His trails rated easy are Subie friendly and scenery rated.



2008 FJ Cruiser expedition ready and overland trailer w RTT.

 

[Qball]

Pregnant wifey and I will be visiting Denver for a wedding mid-July (possibly with our 2-year old) for 7 days. We have decided to make a road-trip

Hey I am no doctor but when my wife was pregnant we were warned not go go above 5000ft as the pressure change and lower oxygen level could have negative affect on the baby. Denver itself is already 5k plus so I would suggest asking a real obgyn doc first before you go on your trip. Sounds like a fun trip but that's just what We were told by our doc.

Better safe than sorry.

 

[Mr Cimarron]

I've been in the Denver/Colorado Springs area for almost two weeks now. Haven't done any real off-roading but have done plenty of other stuff. Before the family showed up a buddy and I rafted the gorge. Water levels are higher than normal so it made it a very intense trip. Later in the week took the family on the train ride thought the gorge and the views are great. Also been up to Pikes Peak via the COG, hiked around Garden Of The Gods and several other spots, went on the mine tour in Cripple Creek, and still have a couple days left.