Rocky Mountain Road Trips

When people think of Colorado, their minds always jump to one thing: the Rocky Mountains. The Rockies are spread out for thousands of miles, creating a seemingly endless amount of natural beauty. Fortunately, Colorado has constructed a fair amount of roads threading in and out of the Rockies, letting the world explore the mountainous maze to quite an extent. With that in mind, what better than to hop into a Jeep (perhaps a less adventurous car for some of us) on a sunny day and go off on a little mountain road trip? Driving through the Rockies is nothing short of breath taking, whether it be summer or winter, the Rockies can amaze just about anyone.

For those of you who want the view, but not the drive, there is a solution. Look Out Mountain is one of the larger foothills of Golden, Colorado, and to make everything better, it's roughly 20 minutes away from Golden, and the peak of it is over 7000 ft tall! A great time to go is around sunset - the sunset will make the city glow with a vibrant orange hue and once the sun goes down you'll see Colorado's night life shine for miles around. Now for those of you who are ready for a road trip, here are some great suggestions:

If you are into a more mountainous-like scenery with fewer (but nicer) housing, then a great place to start would be a road called Golden Gate Canyon Road off of highway 93. This will branch off into several different areas and can either take you down Crawford Gulch Road with hidden millionaire neighborhoods, it can take you down to Golden Gate Canyon Park, highway 119, which could take you to the city of Blackhawk (Colorado's version of Las Vegas), or up to highway 72, which has clusters of more populated neighborhoods and steeper cliffs. Warning: Your cell phone will make a great camera, but not a phone. Don't expect cell reception in most of these areas.

Another shorter drive would be the drive leading to Eldorado Springs. While this drive isn't necessarily long, it's a really neat place to visit because of its mountain vibe type living. Just southwest of Boulder, this little town is really something to see during the summer. The roads are mostly dirt roads, the town is small enough to easily walk from one side to another, and most of the houses line the banks of a river. The houses all look different, and the second you get in the middle of it all, you instantly feel like you have been dropped into an amazon-like civilization. For the most part, it is made up of two main roads; one on one side of the river and one on the other, and it is everything but flatland. From driving over bumpy bridges to trying to squeeze down narrow roads, this is one place you will not easily find similar to others.

For longer drives, highways like I70, I285 and I36 are all great for some intense mountain views. If you take I70, you go through some of the most popular nature attractions in Colorado, most of which are obviously skiing mountains and their resorts. I70 goes from one coast to another, so this can lead you all the way through the Rockies when taken westbound. I285 has a much more spaced out landscape, but there are mountains. While the drive is through flatland, it still is an amazing view. The sun usually shines brightly in these areas, revealing miles and miles of grasslands, sometimes farm land, with mountains lining them. Occasionally, you will drive by huge lakes glistening with fresh mountain water. Many take I285 westbound to get to Fairplay, which has astounding views. Fairplay, a town a few hours into the Rockies, has undoubtedly some amazing views when on top of its highest peaks. You'll see miles and miles of hilly land with sudden ripples of mountains and cliffs. You'll have such a large view in some areas that you'll oversee areas with cloud shadows surrounded with sun. For those of you who are adventurous, Guanella Pass is the road for you. This road is approximately an hour away westbound on I285 and is usually closed for months at a time during the winter due to its risky driving conditions. This road will take you on edges of cliffs, zigzagging down steep mountains, through lush forests, and passing by other great natural scenery. Eventually, it will take you to the humble town of Georgetown, which is conveniently located right off of I70. This town will end your adventure drive nicely before having to get back onto a busy highway - its an old historic town with very colonial-like architecture with a small-town feel to it. Last, but not least, taking I36 will take you through Boulder and up to Estes Park, where the famous Stanley Hotel is located (this hotel was made famous by the movie The Shining). Aside from the Stanley Hotel, Estes Park is also a beautiful mix of lush rolling hills and steep-cliff mountains. Regardless of your selection or preference, there is a drive for everyone in Colorado, and there will always be room for more exploring amongst the great Rocky Mountains.

Gas up, take pictures, and have a great drive!