Southwest road trip from Kentucky, what should we make sure to see?

Hey ladies and gents, next fall a buddy and I are planning a 2 week road trip from Kentucky to the Southwestern part of the US. Along the way, we have started plotting places and things we would like to see along with some importance on what we want to make sure to see. What are some places around the are that are a must? Maybe we have missed or that you would highly recommend for some beautiful scenery and roads! Thanks everyone! Here is a link to some plotted places we have mapped.

https://www.mapcustomizer.com/map/Road Trip 2018 Map

 

Just warning, winter comes quick to high elevations and fall around Telluride middle of Sept to maybe first week of Oct.

Any interests you have to narrow down the options?

 

The trip is hopefully going to take place the beginning weeks of September, hopefully. What I'm doing is plotting all the interested areas and also in colors of importance. What I want to do is see what all I highly want to see and the path to get there. After that, I'm going to narrow down the next places i can swing by on the way to those places that are close by. If they are lower interest and too far out of my path, then I'll pass on them. The path i want to take is still uncertain for now, just the places I would like to see are plotted so i can see what all are close together. I would love to meet up with some fellow members on the way that have possibly been to some areas or want to see some places on the way as well!

 

I see you've got Mesa Verde on your list. The Durango Silverton train is 25 miles away. Telluride is also close with all the off Road trials as well as the four corners, monument valley and of course Moab.

 

Alpine Loop from Silverton or Ouray (Harder then Silverton side for sure- Mineral Creek Trail I believe is this spur name) is also good (given all the mines and such) but doesn't top Black Bear/ Imogene Pass to Telluride. Last Dollar road is also a cool semi off road trail and best into Telluride where you get the Wilson peak views.

 

Thanks for the info! I'll give them a lookup

 

Love Ouray. Alpine Loop, Yankee Boy Basin are at the top of my list. If your vehicle is stock Mineral Creek of Alpine will leave a mark. Issue is clearance and A/D angles. Did it in a Wrangler and we scraped a few times, my Tacoma would have taken some hits. If you have a lift or armor you should be fine. I have not run it, but I hear Imogene is worse. You can also rent a Jeep in town and not worry about it, that would be my first choice. Black Canyon of Gunnison is also spectacular and not far away. The drive down 141 from Grand Junction to Telluride is a great way to get there.

 

I noticed that there were a lot of Passes in Colorado, Imogene, Engineer, Alpine I believe. These alright to do and camp with someone that is traveling that way alone but with standard lift/recovery equipment?

 

Imogene might be a little much, you would want belly armor for sure.

 

Thanks for the info. I have a front skid. As long as it isn't anything crazy where I'd need 35's etc. then I'm down for it. I've probably been on stuff like it here on the East Coast but just want to make sure if I try to plan my route through there.

 

What's the best way to get from say the Great Sand Dunes through Silverton? I want to make my way towards Monument Valley AZ so I want to stay on the Central/Southern side of CO on my way down. Planning on coming through Colorado, Springs to see Pikes Peak, down through the Northern tip of the Great Sand Dunes. Then hopefully some backcountry roads to Silverton over towards the southeastern side of Colorado.





I've been looking at maybe hitting his road (Grizzly Gultch) to see Handies Peak. Looks like a great scenic view. Worth taking if you're from the East Coast and working your way West to AZ?

Coordinatesto trailhead
37°56'13.3"N 107°27'39.3"W
37.937028, -107.460929

 

You must do Black bear pass while your here

 

I did Imogene in a completely stock 14 DC OR with an all pro rack and butt loads of camping gear in the bed. Only 1 spot I hit at (Right after you come down from the pass and make the first switchback going from Telluride to Ouray) and thats because I wasn't paying attention and drove off about a 4 foot drop off. I could of easily got around it, but it didn't look like a drop off and I didn't get out and look.

I've done pretty much all of the Alpine Loop in the stock taco. The only one I avoided after talking to some people was Poughkeepsie Gulch. I always get somewhere where I think hmmm... can the lil ole stock taco do it? Then a Subaru comes bouncing up behind me and we push forward.

My wife and I do everything alone for reference. Just us, the truck, and our husky.

Just a heads up the only way going into the park from the north is Medano Pass Road and it is one way only (South to North coming out of the park)

If you want to go from the Sand Dunes to Silverton. Go to South Fork, CO and take 149 to Lake City. Then you can go over Cinnamon Pass into Silverton. This will technically be your first Alpine Loop pass. Its one of the easiest and you'll go right by the Animas Fork Ghost Town.

Guenella Pass outside of Georgetown, CO has a couple NF roads with good camping/off roading the higher you go. You can go up to the very top of the mountains. You'll also go by one of only 7 Iron Fens in the world which are all located in CO. (EDIT after reading your last quote this might not be a good option for your path)

Alto Lakes outside of Telluride is a good camping spot if you are there when its not busy. I've been there on 4th of July and its packed to the teeth. I camped there last September and it was just us and 1 other person on the other side of the lake.

As @CO MTN Steve mentioned... Last Dollar Road has some good camping off of it too. Its a pretty easy road but if there was recent rain there is a big mud hole in one spot. Besides that super easy driving.

Looks like you are going to the Canyonlands in UT. Look for BLM rd 129 before you get to the park entrance (on your right - same road that goes to the White Rim Trail) and find "Beehive Butte" off of that. Take the rd and drive right past Beehive Butte and keep going until you come to the spot (you will know). You'll have an amazing view right on the edge of the canyons and free camping (it boarders the NP boundary). Its a hard spot to get to because it looks like a lot of roads are going there, but they are all blocked a mile or two in. There is only 1 road that actually goes all the way in.

Kaibab NF south of the Grand Canyon entrance has some good exploring/camping spots.

I camped on the water at Lake Powell 3 years ago for free on the AZ side. I was there a couple weeks ago and all the spots I went to 3 years ago the roads were paved going down to the lake and they had gates with pay stations installed. I think you will have to get on UT side for free camping now.

Pretty much everywhere in southern Utah is amazing and you could spend a lifetime exploring out there. You have peek a boo canyon on there in Grand Staircase. I'd go all the way down Hole in the Rock rd to the end.

Feel free to hit me up when you get closer. I spend a lot of time out exploring.

Imogene shortly after I went off the drop off




Ophir Pass



Campsite outside Canyonlands I mentioned



Alto Lakes Campsite

 

Thanks for all the great info. I'll definitely give you all a shout when I head that way.
I'd love to have someone with experience in the area and love meeting new people along the way, even if it is just for a day or 2! I have all my path marked out through AZ and Utah that i'll be taking and am working on my Colorado path.. It's going to be a circle coming into central Colorado on I70 then working my way down towards AZ with all the sites I can see, coming back up from horseshoe bend to Zion and up HWY 89 in UT, through peekaboo, up towards Canyonlands and Moab, then back trough Central Coloroado through Denver and back home. I'm not sure which way i'll go first yet (Counter clock wise or clockwise) around the path (Trying to time it so I can catch a concert at Red Rock Ampitheatre) then back home to KY.