Denver Circular 4 – A beautiful, off the beaten track, route that features spectacular scenery. This diverse route combines the glacial peaks of the Rocky Mountain Mountain National Park with the deserts of eastern Utah and the dunes of southeastern Colorado. In addition to visiting the city of Denver and charming small towns (Aspen, the towns along the Million Dollar Highway and more), this route leads to 6 National Parks – Rocky Mountains, Arches, Canyonlands, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Mesa Verde and Great Sand Dunes, in addition to few national monuments and many other nature sites. This route crosses the Rocky Mountains several times, and in cases of extreme weather (especially during transition months in Autumn) roads along it may be temporally closed.
Day 1 – Land in Denver and spend a few hours in the city
Lodging location: Denver
Day 2 – Spend the morning in Denver and drive south to Colorado Springs (on the way you may stop at this outlet), 1 hour drive
Lodging location: Colorado Springs
Day 3 – Visit the Garden of the Gods and drive up to Pikes Peaks, in the afternoon drive south towards the Great Sand Dunes National Park, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Great Sand Dunes or Alamosa
Day 4 – Spend the morning in the wonderful Great Sand Dunes National Park and in the afternoon drive west towards Mesa Verde National Park, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Mesa Verde or Cortez
Day 5 –Spend the morning in Mesa Verde National Park and in the afternoon drive to Durango, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Durango
Day 6 – Drive north on the scenic Million Dollar Hwy and visit the picturesque towns and natural areas along this route, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Montrose
Day 7 – Visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and drive to Moab, 3.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Moab
Day 8 – Visit Arches National Park, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Moab
Day 9 – Visit Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky district) and in the afternoon go rafting on the Colorado River (out of Moab), 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Moab
Day 10 – Drive to the Colorado National Monument via scenic route 128 (see map here) and visit the park, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Grand Junction
Day 11 – Drive to Aspen and enjoy this town’s many activities, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Aspen
Day 12 – Spend the morning in Aspen and in the afternoon drive to Grand Lake via scenic route 82, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Grand Lake
Day 13 – Cross the Rocky Mountain National Park on Trail Ridge Road and stop and hike along this scenic route, 1.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Estes Park
Day 14 – Hike and travel in the eastern part of the Rocky Mountain National Park, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Estes Park
Day 15 – Spend the morning in the eastern part of the Rocky Mountain National Park and drive to Denver, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Denver
Day 16 – Fly Home
– In order to fill this route with content – see our Southwest USA destinations pages, where you can find articles that include suggestions what to do in various locations along this route.
