Including Interstate-70, Glenwood Canyon, Deckers Road, Mt.
Evans, Pikes Peak, and Tennessee, Fremont, and Hoosier Passes
[NOTE: This map does not contain any hyperlinks]
This central area of Colorado also includes some interesting
routes for your consideration if you are coming from the East:
I-70 from Denver, climbing to
cross the Continental Divide via the Eisenhower Tunnel, and eventually
crossing Vail Pass before dropping down to follow the Colorado River,
eventually entering the magnificent
Glenwood Canyon to
Glenwood Springs. A great ride from Glenwood Springs to Montrose via
CO-82, CO-133, CO-92, and US-50 (see the
Glenwood ride
for information on this final routing).
Glenwood Canyon
(I-70):
Dillon (I-70 near Loveland Pass):
Most interstates are boring
(this is one major change from I-70 east of Denver in Colorado and Kansas);
however this stretch of I-70 is a very enjoyable ride with a wide variety of
mountain and canyon scenery; if you are in a hurry, this is a good, while
enjoyable route.
A couple of side detours or
loops are worth consideration:
A loop ride up to
Mt. Evans (14,250 feet), the
highest paved road in the United States. About ten miles west of
Denver on I-70 take the Evergreen Parkway Exit to CO-203, traveling over
Squaw Pass to Echo Lake. At Echo Lake take the Mt. Evans Road (toll)
and enjoy this awesome ride above timberline to the top of Mt. Evans
(awesome views; morning is usually best for making the trip to the top as
thunderstorms often build-up during the afternoon hours). Return to
Echo Lake; continue on CO-103, dropping down to I-70 and the old mining
town of Idaho Springs.
Mt. Evans:
Exit I-70 on US-6 just
prior to the east entrance to the Eisenhower Tunnel; US-6 climbs over
Loveland Pass (by-passing the tunnel) to cross the Continental Divide,
dropping past the Arapahoe Basin and Keystone Ski Areas before re-joining
I-70 at Dillon/Silverthorne.
Loveland Pass:
Another fun loop is the
Top of the Rockies Byway. Exit I-70 on CO-91 at the Copper
Mountain Ski Area. This route climbs over Fremont Pass (and the
huge, old molybdenum mining area), dropping down to Leadville, the highest
incorporated town in the United States (10,000 feet). Just north
of Leadville (you go past this turn to get to Leadville) take US-24 west
(actually more north), climbing over the beautiful Tennessee Pass,
eventually passing the old
Camp Hale (10th
Mountain Division winter training camp during WWII) and dropping down
along the headwaters of the Eagle River to Minturn and re-joining I-70
west of Vail.
Tennessee Pass:
Hoosier Pass:
If you do not want to take
I-70 all the way to Glenwood Springs there are a couple of other options
that provide nice rides to Montrose:
As in the 2nd loop above,
exit I-70 on CO-91 at the Copper Mountain Ski Area, climbing over Fremont
pass (and the huge, old molybdenum mining area), dropping down to
Leadville, the highest incorporated town in the United States (10,000
feet). Just before Leadville and leading in to town you hit US-24
east (mostly south). Ride through town and then head on south on
US-24, with the Continental Divide to your west, including Mt. Elbert, the
highest point in Colorado, to the junction of CO-82 near Twin Lakes.
From this point travel to Montrose could be via the routing included in
the Independence Pass route (as laid out in
the routing or the reverse).
Or, exit I-70 at the Frisco
exit (CO-9 SOUTH), traveling south via Breckenridge and over Hoosier
Pass to Fairplay in South Park. Just past Fairplay US-285 south
through South Park to Buena Vista, continuing south on US-285 to US-50 using
the routing included in the Independence Pass
route.
Pikes Peak is well-known
because it stands-out as a 14,110 foot peak that rises directly above Colorado
Springs from the flat plains to the east. From Colorado Springs take
US-24 west towards Woodland Park (the home of WingNutZZ). Cascade (about
ten miles west of the Springs and at the end of the narrow, winding Fountain
Creek [often call Ute Pass as it is part of the road heading west to Ute
Pass}) is the location of the Pikes
Peak Highway. (NOTE: The toll road to the top of Pikes Peak
includes approximately 12 miles of unpaved road, which has sharp turns and
often with washboard surface; something for consideration if you plan to ride
to the top of Pikes Peak; morning is usually best for making the trip to the
top as thunderstorms often build-up during the afternoon hours.)
Pikes Peak:
To travel to Montrose
directly after returning from Pikes Peak:
Continue from Cascade west
on US-24 through Woodland Park, over Ute Pass and Wilkerson Pass
(beautiful view from the Wilkerson Pass Rest Area across South Park to the
Continental Divide to the west), across South Park through Hartsel to
Antero Junction and US-285 to just south of Buena Vista
US-285 south to Poncha
Springs and US-50
US-50 west over Monarch
Pass via Gunnison and Blue Mesa Reservoir to Montrose
If you decide to do both Mt.
Evans and Pikes Peak you can easily get from one to the other via the
Deckers Road:
Continue from Cascade west
on US-24 to Woodland Park
Woodland Park to Deckers
via CO-67 north ~23 miles
Nice ride up through the
Rampart Range Mountains with lots of nice twisties and great views.
Deckers to Pine to Pine
Junction (Silver Springs) via CR-126 north ~25 miles
Lots of twisties mixed
with sweepers along the South Platte River and Rampart Range Mountains.
Pine Junction to Conifer
via US-285 north/east ~7 miles
Mostly sweepers on 285
with nice views.
Conifer to Evergreen via
CO-73 ~9 miles
A small backroad that
winds up to Evergreen.
Evergreen to Bergen Park
via CO-74 ~4 miles
A quick trip up to Bergen
Park
Bergen Park to Echo Lake
via CO-103 ~18 miles
Very nice ride with lots
of twisties climbing over Squaw Pass to Echo Lake (worth a photo).
Echo Lake to Mt. Evans via
CO-5 ~14 miles
Deckers Road:
The most direct route from Denver to
Montrose is US-285 south over Kenosha Pass to South Park to Buena Vista to
Poncha Springs and US-50. US-50 west over Monarch Pass via Gunnison and
Blue Mesa Reservoir to Montrose.
