Are you looking for a central Colorado road trip itinerary? I have the trip for you to explore what Colorado has to offer. Colorado is a beautiful state, and it is not short to show you all that it has to offer. It is one of the most beautiful states I have been to.
Colorado has lots of open space. The vast expanse that Colorado has between the mountains is awe-inspiring. You can see forever while driving around the countryside.
Colorado gives you many choices of things to do. For this Colorado road trip itinerary, there are a few places to hike for a few days. Then we will be continuing to the next location. This state is one of the best hiking states in The United States.
This post is to give you the most out of Colorado to see while doing a great road trip. Colorado has amazing natural monuments and fun towns to explore. I hope this itinerary will help you get the most out of your Colorado road trip.
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This trip will take you in the circle around central and southwest Colorado. We will start in Denver and return to the city. This trip will give you many amazing memories to talk about for a lifetime.
You may get in early or later in the day depending on your flight. This day is for you to relax and get things situated. Pick up your rental car from the airport and drive to your hotel.
I suggest that you find a hotel in the downtown area so that you can walk around. While discovering the downtown area, find a great place to get food. The good news is that Denver has many great breweries to grab a few drinks and get a great meal.
I recommend stopping at Wynkoop Brewing for dinner. Wynkoop Brewing Company is Denver’s first brewpub. You will find a great atmosphere in a significant part of the city.
Denver has a lot of choices of places to stay. Again, I recommend picking a place downtown so that you can walk around and take in the city. A great hotel is Holiday Inn Express Denver Downtown.
This is a great drive south to the area. The Garden of the Gods is not far from Colorado Springs, which makes doing these two places perfect in one day.
Garden of the Gods is a very popular tourist spot. Make sure to check out the Visitor Center to get a map and take a tour of the history of the area. You can step outside and get an amazing view of the sandstone rock formations in the park.
Walking around the park will take about 3 hours easily to take everything in. Prepare to take lots of pictures while hiking. There is a lot to do at Garden of the Gods if you choose, like horseback riding, rock climbing, hiking, and wildlife watching.
This place is named properly with how it looks. Colorado has really created a gem with Garden of the Gods. It is easy to get lost in the beauty while wandering around the park and taking it all in.
Close to Garden of the Gods is Pike’s Peak. Pike’s Peak is the only 14,000 ft mountain in Colorado that you can drive to the summit. The route up is a very scenic drive.
The drive itself is a 19-mile ride up to the top on a winding road. It does cost to drive up the mountain though, depending on the time of the year. My only complaint about it is that the fee is per person and not per vehicle.
After the day of seeing these sites, I recommend stopping in Manitou Springs which is right between Pikes’s Peak and Garden of the Gods. You will want to stop at this location to check out the little quaint Colorado mountain town.
Take some time to walk around the town to check out all the little shops. We decided to stop here to get a couple of beers before moving on to Colorado Springs. We were very happy to find this amazing little place. Manitou Springs is one place you must stop in to understand how amazing it is.
We stopped at Manitou Brewing Company to grab a couple of beers and get a bite to eat. I highly recommend you do the same and reflect on a great day that you had. Once you stop here, you realize why it is on this Colorado road trip itinerary.
Once finished, head to Colorado Springs for the night and to spend your next day.
Colorado Springs is the second largest city in Colorado, and it is right next to Garden of the Gods and Pike’s Peak. Getting there from these locations including Manitou Springs is an easy drive. Colorado Springs is a nice size city with plenty of options to do.
A few of the activities that I recommend doing while you spend your day in Colorado Springs:
I recommend getting up early to start your drive to Crestone. The drive from Colorado Springs to there will take about 3.5 hours. As you drive to Crestone, you will follow the Arkansas River for the majority of the trip. Here you will pass through a fun river town called, Cañon City that offers white water rafting and many other outdoor activities.
You will see that there are plenty of camping stops on the way along the road on the river. Some spots are just too good that you have to stop and take pictures of the beautiful countryside. While we did our drive, we stopped a couple of times to take in the views. Again, Colorado is very beautiful.
Once you get to Salida, you will start to notice that the biome starts to change to a more desert look. It will surprise you how much this part of the state looks like New Mexico. You will start to see tumbleweeds blowing in the wind and dust devils if it is windy enough.
Once you arrive at Crestone, you will notice that it is a very small hippy town. Crestone gives the feeling like you are in another country with the look of the area. I really enjoyed passing through this small Colorado town. Right after the town, you will get on a dirt road. Head up to the parking area of Willow Lake Trail which also takes you to Kit Carson Mountain and Challenger.
You will want to take the Trailhead that goes to Willow Lake. It is the path that leads right. There is another one that goes left. I am not going to lie to you, this is a tough hike. Prepare for it to take the majority of the after to get to the camping area. I would plan 4-5 depending on how much gear you have. The elevation can beat you up some, especially on the switchbacks. I live on the coast in South Carolina, and it whipped my butt for sure.
The hike up the mountain is absolutely gorgeous. Some of the views that you will see are completely breathtaking. Once you get to the camping area just below the lake, be prepared to see deer and long-horned sheep all around. They even will walk into your campsite.
Set up your campsite and relax for the rest of the evening. Make sure you dress warm, the temperature will drop at night.
I recommend getting up early on this day to get breakfast because it is going to be a full day of hiking. From this point, you will gain about 2,800ft to the top of Kit Carson putting you just above 14,000ft total.
The hike up and around the lake is one of the prettiest places you will see while hiking. Please take your time to take as many photos as possible. This part of the hike isn’t bad, the majority doesn’t rise in elevation too much. Once you get around the lake, then the work starts.
This portion of the hike up to Kit Carson is pretty steep and the elevation gains pretty quickly. Once you get to the summit, you will realize all the hard work of hiking and climbing was worth it. The view from the top is amazing.
Once you get back to camp, you will want to have your lunch, break camp, and start your journey back down to the car. As they say, going down is always faster than going up. Hopefully, it doesn’t take you long to get back to the car. I would say plan on 3-4 for the trip down.
I recommend stopping at T Road Brewing Company in the town of Crestone for a drink. Trust me, you deserved it after that long hike. After your beer or two, head to Alamosa for the night.
Alamosa is a short drive from Crestone. As you pull into town, you will go over a river, The Rio Grande River, yes the famous one. I had no idea that The Rio Grande River starts in Colorado. This is the famous river that goes all the way to Texas out to the Gulf of Mexico. Alamosa is an old railroad depot town, and you will see lots of old railcars and engines throughout the town.
The town is pretty small and not a lot of places to choose from for places to stay. I feel like we found a great place that I highly recommend, The Dunes Inn Alamosa. This is quite the bargain for the price. The rooms are pretty big, and they offer breakfast included with the attached café.
By this time, you will be hungry like we were. There is a great brewpub right down the street in their downtown area, San Luis Valley Brewing Company. This place has some really great beer and some good food to fill the appetite from hiking all day.
After dinner, it is time to head back to the hotel to relax for the rest of the night and fall asleep fast.
The drive to The Great Sand Dunes National Park is about 30 minutes from Alamosa. Just driving up to the dunes is one amazing view. It is one of those things that you never really imagined that you would see in person. The size and amount of sand is incredible. I just can’t imagine how the Sahara looks in person.
The nice thing about The Great Sand Dunes National Park is that you get to pay by car. Also, the entrance fee is good for 7 consecutive days. Also, the park is open 24 hours. This will make you photographers happy to get once in a lifetime shot of the Milky Way and sky from the dunes.
After you park, you will go right into the dunes’ area. There is a small creek, Medano Creek in the front where lots of kids will be playing. After, there is one of the most amazing backdrops you will ever see, The Great Sand Dunes. I personally felt a strong connection with this place.
If you can, bring a snowboard or a large cardboard box with you, please do. That way you are able to ride down the dunes. The people look like they have the best time doing this. This place is a photographer’s dream with all the angles of dunes to create amazing photos.
Hiking up the dunes is a lot of work. You will realize fast that you will only cover about 5-10% of the entire park while walking around in the sand. You will want to take a couple of bottles of water with you or a bladder while you hike the dunes.
We spent about 3 hours exploring the sand dunes. At that point, we discussed and agreed to come back later in the day to check out how the sunset would be here.
Real close to The Great Sand Dunes National Park and just down the road is Zapata Falls. This is a great spot to check out while heading out of the sand dune. The hike itself is an easy .8-mile round trip. Once you get there, you will see an amazing 30ft waterfall.
It is worth the stop to check out. Especially if you plan on going back to check out the sunset and the night sky at The Great Sand Dunes National Park.
We had some time to kill after this, so we decided to head back to Alamosa for dinner. I recommend that you do the same. We found a great pizza place with excellent beer and even better pizza.
When in the downtown area, check out My Brothers Place Restaurant and Deli. They have amazing 19” pizzas that were perfect after hiking in the sand dunes. You will not be upset with this place.
You will want to go back at sunset to get some amazing photos and take in the experience. We got really lucky with a storm starting to come in so the colors in the sky were breathtaking.
The whole experience of being out there during sunset is something you do not want to pass up. We planned on staying to get some amazing night shots, but the storms ran us off.
Once you decide to leave The Great Sand Dune National Park, head back to your hotel. It is time to relax and prepare for the next day of travel. Take a moment to take it all in, and you will agree that this is a must on a Colorado road trip itinerary.
This is one of your relaxing days to just drive and take your time to get there. You will drive from Alamosa to Pagosa Springs while passing through a few small towns that are great. The total drive will take you a couple of hours to get there if you drive straight through.
You will see that the first half of your drive is very desert-like. The same as you have been seeing for a few days. You will arrive in a little town called, South Fork. I recommend stopping by the visitor center to get some brochures on Pagosa Springs and to check out the area.
The next part of your drive will take you through the mountain pass of the Continental Divide. There is where the biome really starts to change. You will notice lots of lush green trees everywhere. It is now starting to look like Colorado normally does on television.
When you arrive at Pagosa Springs, you will notice that it is a nice tourist town. There is a river that flows right through the downtown area called, The San Juan River. You will see lots of people fishing, tubing, and boating on the river. This is a summertime haven.
I recommend staying at Fireside Cabins. It is a little different because you get your own cabin, which can be really nice to have. You can have a one or two-bedroom option. They are right on the river, and it comes with everything that you need while staying in this location.
Walk around and check out the town. Once you get hungry, I recommend having a bite to eat at Riff Raff Brewing Company. You will enjoy their beers and food. It is an excellent way to end your day of driving. Relax with some drinks and head back to your cabin for the night.
If you decide to stay in Pagosa Springs, you will find plenty of things to do to make your day full. You can rent rafts to go down the river or spend the day tubing down it as well. The list of opportunities is endless in this town.
We decided to drive outside of it and take on a 10-mile round-trip hike to Rainbow Hot Springs. If you are a hiker, I recommend you do this hike. You start out by hiking through some private property which is marked really clearly.
As you hike, you will notice that a fire went through the area a few years ago. The burned forest is very noticeable. Even though it is burned, it gives it a lot of character. The views while hiking were amazing. Colorado has great areas.
Once you get to the campsite area, you will reach the hot springs. We were told to go to campsite 8 for the springs. Maybe we missed something, but there were 2 springs that were about 2ft by 4ft. Please, don’t let this discourage you from an amazing hike though.
For a dinner option, I recommend that you go to Kip’s Grill & Cantina. This place is amazing. The food here was excellent. I wish I would have known about this place the night before because I would have eaten here 2 times.
It doesn’t matter if you choose to take a hike or stay in the town, either way, you will have a great time. Visiting here you will see why Pagosa Spring is a part of the Colorado road trip itinerary.
This is the day for the long car ride back to Denver with a stop at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The drive is a full-day event. The total time to get back is around 9 hours, so the stop at Black Canyon is a great break in the middle.
The first part of this drive will take you through the San Juan National Forest. This stretch will give you lots to look at as you are driving. You will agree that Colorado never stops impressing on all the natural wonders that it holds.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park surrounds part of a deep, steep, and narrow canyon that was carved out by the Gunnison River. Though the park is small it is definitely worth visiting because the views are very impressive from the top. The fee is per vehicle to view the park and is for a 7-day pass.
To fully enjoy Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nation Park, it is recommended to spend about 2 to 3 hours. Since you are driving back and don’t have way too much time, I recommend that you visit the south rim. The south rim has better views of the painted wall and has more facilities. There are also 12 overlooks on the south rim to get the perfect photo.
After you are finished, it is time to continue your drive to Denver. The rest of the trip back is pretty relaxed and just taking in all the views of the countryside. When you get there, it is time to check back into your hotel at Holiday Inn Express Denver Downtown.
Head over to 10 Barrel Brewing Company for a great dinner and some great drinks. That is if it is not too late when you arrive back in Denver. There is great rooftop seating that makes this brewery a great experience. You can always stop by this location tomorrow night too.
Denver is the largest city in Colorado and has a lot to offer in things to do. The city is also known as The Mile High City and sits at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It is a very outdoor city and is known for its music, sports, food, culture, and art. The people of Denver are very proud people to be from the city and the state of Colorado.
A few of the activities that I recommend doing while you spend your day in Denver:
After a full day of activities, it is getting time to wind down from your amazing trip. I think it is time to treat yourself to one last Brewery in Denver and some pizza. The perfect place for that is Black Shirt Brewing Company. They have a spacious Beer Garden and usually have some live music. In fact, they were awarded “Best Brewpub for Live Music” in 2017.
The day that you have been dreading has finally come. Your final day in Colorado and time to head to the airport. If you have a late flight, then you are in luck to explore a little more of Denver. Take this time and get one last lunch or early dinner in the city.
Even though Denver’s airport is large, I find that it is not that hard to get around. I do recommend getting there at least 2 hours early for your flight to be safe.
Colorado can have some swings of weather, getting pretty hot in the summers. The ideal times that you would want to plan your Colorado road trip itinerary would be April and May or October through mid-December. The area will be less crowded with tourists and give you more availability for hotels and attractions.
If you are more into seeing the sites than doing some hiking, you are still able to do this itinerary. I would skip the drive to Crestone and Willow Lake and go right to Alamosa. I would also skip seeing Black Canyon. That way you can get back to Denver with time to explore the city before leaving the next day. This way you get to still do the majority of this Colorado road trip Itinerary.
I recommend using this itinerary to use for your road trip or at least using it as your foundation. Research is key in planning a trip. Make sure you have plenty of funds for gas, food, and treats along the way.
Check to make sure your insurance is up to date. You want to check your tires and all maintenance on your car if you are using your own.
Make sure you come with enthusiasm and a zest for adventure. Anything can happen on the road so be prepared for change at any time.
But, research is key.
Wow, that was a lot of ground that we all covered on this Colorado road trip itinerary. But, we all did it. We did an amazing trip around the great state of Colorado and go to see so many great cities and natural landmarks throughout.
I am sure you will be like me and walk away saying that Colorado is one of the most beautiful states you have visited. I look forward to visiting this state again and doing another road trip with places that I did not get to on this one. This was a lot to jam-pack into one trip, but it was fun with lots of memories.
You will walk away with memories to last a lifetime with whom you travel. I hope that this Colorado road trip itinerary helped you have the best Colorado trip and that you found it very useful.
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