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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / RVs / June 2006Best route from Denver to Durango Colorado
We will be traveling to Durango in August. I have a Ford Econoline with a 6.0L Powerstroke and about a 30 foot trailer (6,000lbs) . I am looking at the map and looking at the mountain, and looking at the map and looking at the mountains....... Any suggestions on the best route through. Your help is appreciated. Thank You. > We will be traveling to Durango in August. I have a Ford Econoline > with a 6.0L Powerstroke and about a 30 foot trailer (6,000lbs) . I [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > appreciated. > Thank You. I'd just go down 285 to 160. Like you say, looking at mountains any way you go. After all, west of Denver lies the Rockies!! Don't even think about staying in the Wal-Mart parking lot there. If I were to go there again, I sure wouldn't stay at a campground in Durango because they are who made Wal-Mart off limits. There is a great National Forest CG just west of town on 160 & other CG still further west. Tom J I take it from your post that Wal-Marts, my favorite overnight stop are off limits in Colorado? Do you have more details? >> We will be traveling to Durango in August. I have a Ford Econoline >> with a 6.0L Powerstroke and about a 30 foot trailer (6,000lbs) . I am [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Tom J > I take it from your post that Wal-Marts, my favorite overnight stop > are off limits in Colorado? Do you have more details? Wal-Mart in Durango, as with most Wal-Mart locations allowed over night stays in their parking lot. The local campgrounds in Durango went to the city government and persuaded them to ban over night parking of RVs in any place but a licensed campground. That's the reason I'd never stay in a private campground in Durango. I don't think the state has banned parking lot over night stays. Only 1 state that I know of tried that and backed down over the uproar. Tom J > > I take it from your post that Wal-Marts, my favorite overnight stop > > are off limits in Colorado? Do you have more details? [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Tom J We found the Walmarts in southern CO were prohibiting overnight parking in their lots, the one in Cortez SPECIFICALLY stating it was because the campgrounds secured a local ordnance against it. Unfortunately we could find NO alternative to a commercial campground there...so they WON. :-( I doubt we go back there.... the attitude of "soak the tourists" was just too blatant. Mesa Verde NP is worth seeing, though, if you go through when their campground is open....we were off season. The main roads in the park will take large RVs. Next time we will go thru northern NM.... My opinion, Barrie B >>> I take it from your post that Wal-Marts, my favorite overnight stop >>> are off limits in Colorado? Do you have more details? [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > My opinion, > Barrie B In some towns the problem was more those that abused the privilege. In some mountain towns it was common to see RVs parked for days in the WalMart lots. It was especially bad in towns like Frisco where WalMart shares the parking lot with other businesses. Two miles away there were two very nice forest CGs that were almost empty. No problem in the Denver/Colorado Springs area. Frequently see 10 or more RVs in a lot at night but don't make it a home base for sight seeing. Pretty much three choices from Denver: 1) I-70 Straight West of Denver 2) HW 50 West of Pueblo 3) 160 West of Walsenburg. All three involve one or more mountain passes. If mountains are a problem I would drop option #1. From memory, you will have to cross Vail Pass on I-70; then when you head south of Gunnison you will have to cross Red Mountain and Coal Bank Hill. Everything south of Ouray is mountains. Option 2 is is pretty much the same. You will still have to pull from Quray to Durango. Option 3 has you driving over La Veta Pass between Walsenburg and Alamosa (not bad); and Wolf Creek Pass east of Pagosa Springs (Not as bad as the song makes it sound but still a pretty good pull). Are you from Denver or are you travelling through? There is another way to cross, thorough extreme southern colorado and northern New Mexico. After crossing La Veta, Pass on 160 you head south at Alamosa to Antonito which is just a few miles above the state line. From there you can head west to Chama NM which is just south of the state line. It is mountainous, but more like 'big hilly'. From there you can work your way up to Pagosa Springs via HW 84 (I think, I do not have a map available). From Pagosa, the trip to Durango is pretty tame. Depending on time available, this is a pretty friendly way to go. Also, there is a very good narrow-gage train ride that runs between Antonito to Chama. There is a nice campground about 1/2 mile from the Chama station. Hope this helps RonB > Option 3 has you driving over La Veta Pass between Walsenburg and Alamosa > (not bad); and Wolf Creek Pass east of Pagosa Springs (Not as bad as the > song makes it sound but still a pretty good pull). The song was written years ago when it was narrow and limited use of guard rails. Today it is a nice wide highway, turns aren't sharp anymore and there are guard rails up. It's a pull but a nice highway these days. The rest of that route isn't bad at all. >> Option 3 has you driving over La Veta Pass between Walsenburg and Alamosa >> (not bad); and Wolf Creek Pass east of Pagosa Springs (Not as bad as the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >anymore and there are guard rails up. It's a pull but a nice highway >these days. The rest of that route isn't bad at all. In September, there was extensive construction on the east side. Delays ran 45 minutes or more. Have they finished construction there yet? See the CO DOT web site for construction updates.  SignatureFrank Tabor Thank you all for the tips. I guess I need to look at the map and consider what you have told me. Like you all said it is the Rockies. I bought this diesel just for this, so, let's see what she can do. > We will be traveling to Durango in August. I have a Ford Econoline with a > 6.0L Powerstroke and about a 30 foot trailer (6,000lbs) . I am looking at > the map and looking at the mountain, and looking at the map and looking at > the mountains....... > Any suggestions on the best route through. Your help is appreciated. > Thank You. We took that trip last Fall. The best way to get from Denver to Durango is to head south from Denver on I-25. Get on Route 160 west at Walsenburg. The reason to go this way is to avoid Route 550 into Durango. We drove Route 550 to sightsee and I would never want to tow my rig on it. Too narrow, steep and many S-curves. If you are staying in Durango, I can recommend the United Campground. It is next to the Silverton/Durango RR tracks and provides great views if you are a steam engine RR nut.... Be sure to call for reservations and request a site next to the tracks. See my web page below for more info on the campground and sites to pick as well as info on the construction at Wolf Pass. http://pws.prserv.net/usinet.edjurg/ -------------------------------------------------------- Ed J edj22 at attglobal net ----------------------------------------------------- > Thank you all for the tips. I guess I need to look at the map and > consider what you have told me. Like you all said it is the Rockies. I > bought this diesel just for this, so, let's see what she can do. |
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