Colorado 5 day trip Recommendations

I wouldn't put off Moab. Its only 5 hours from Denver. Ourray is all of 5.5hrs away. You could for example (see my previous post), drive to Montrose, drive the RimRocker trail from Montrose to Moab which takes about two days, and then pick a route back to NC that allows you to camp the whole time. You could take 191 out of Moab to 46 to 90 to 141 through telluride on your way home. Lots of 14ers to drive and hike on the way. Antero and Evens are derivable 14000 ft mountains. Of course you could camp out at a trailhead and hike just about any 14er in a day.

 

Joe, You are in Springs, right? I'm here until Saturday morning, the 13th. I'd take some trips but we basically have base camp here in Colorado Springs. We'd like to find a trail near here. I was thinking about going to the Great Sand Dunes and taking the trail from there. It's a 3hr trip to there and then another 2-3 hours off-road. I think it's Hayden Pass. We still need make it back to Springs in the same day. We rented a house here. I don't think I want to do 9 hours of driving, round trip.

Is there something easy near Springs. Maybe we can get a beer too. I'd appreciate some recommendations for trails and beer.

 

Keith!

That would be a long trip and while the Sand Dunes are cool they are generally just a stop along a larger trip. I am always down for some beer but we have friends in town this week.

Here are some of my favorite places.

Manitou Brewing - Great beer and their Highground IPA is the best I have ever had and I do not like IPAs. Great menu!
Nano 108 - Good all around beers
Rocky Mountain Brewery - (Not to be confused with Colorado Mountain Brewery) has my favorite beer EVER. It's called Da Yooper. It's often called Cherry Pie Beer. Definitely go to this place and try it on draft. Can is ok but not the same.
Storybook - good all around beers
Cogstone - Good Beers and awesome pizza

some easy trails that are close
Balanced Rock
Shubarth Road
Mount Baldy
Mount Rosa
metburry Gulch is easy but rated moderate

 

Thank you, sir. I'm going to check some of these out.

 

I'll update some trails as recall them. There are a ton in Pike National Forest.

 

+1 on Metberry Gulch, awesome trail (and great views), the drive down the "slab" is always fun ;-)
It's also very close to Longwater Gulch, which was one of my favorite trails back in the day, check open-status on Longwater as it's been a while since I was there (and the river crossing can be sketchy, depending on the river when you go).

 

Just stopped in here.

 

Get the Tacos! What did you try?? Looks like they have some new brews for the summer

 

Buy this book.

$27 Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Trails (FunTreks Guidebooks)

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Colora...Drive-Trails/dp/1934838268/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

 

Cerberus is not the coolest but they have one of the best hazy IPAs I've ever had. I also went to most of the breweries in the area in one day, it was great

 

I got the High Ground IPA. I am an IPA drinker and that one is excellent. My wife even liked that one and she is definitely not an IPA drinker. My wife had the Copper Kettle Helles. I also got their Bacon & Blue burger and it was good.

 

Oh ya I love Cerberus. They have a great Kolsch that I like and their menu is great. Love their Reuben Rolls are amazing.

 

Good info in this thread.

 

I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was like, man I hope he likes it and I didn’t steer him wrong.

The Da Yooper beer at Rocky Mountain brewery is a fruit beer but they won Gold and Silver at the World Beer Cup a few years ago. Once they won they didn’t need to enter again Ha!

 

Anybody in the Durango/Silverton/Ouray area at the moment? I rode my klr up around Yankee boy basin yesterday and saw a group of four Tacoma's airing down.

 

There isn't anywhere more scenic than southern CO. You're right you can't go wrong in this part of the state. Santa Fe is worth a stop if you drive through on your way. Snow shouldn't be an issue in September unless it's already started snowing again up high.

 

What? You come in the BEGINNING of September? Dude...try the last week instead. So much better for fall colors! Just about any place will be awesome.

Anyway, Ouray and the Apline Loop is awesome but as mentioned some of that may not be open due to snow and avalanches that have downed huge swaths of trees. There's tons of trails all over though so you can certainly find something.

There's too much to see in 5 days though hah. How much offroad do you want to do or do you just want to do mainly sight seeing?

You could start in say Durango and go up 550 through Silverton, Ouray, Ridgway and continue up and catch the 50 through Curecanti and then to Gunnison, up the 135 into Crested Butte and then Kebler Pass to 133 and up through Redstone to Aspen or Glenwood Springs and then either I-70 back to Denver or from Aspen take Independence Pass over to Leadville and wherever from there. Depends on how much driving you want to do vs. staying and hiking or something. There are campsites all over the place.

 

I'm not sure if the route to Crystal is open or not. Heard reports it isn't and might not be.

 

I rode lime Creek road yesterday and it has nice scenery. You can do it in 2wd but it might be best to air down due to a lot of rocks.

 

Lime Creek is a great scenic road!