Denver Circular 2 – 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 – Drive to the eastern part of the Rocky Mountain National Park and visit this area of the park, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Estes Park
Day 3 – Enjoy the morning in the eastern part of the Rocky Mountain National Park and then cross the park on Trail Ridge Road and stop and hike along this scenic route, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Grand Lake
Day 4 – Drive to Aspen in scenic route 82 and enjoy the afternoon in the town, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Aspen
Day 5 – Enjoy the morning in Aspen and in the noon drive to Colorado National Monument and visit this park, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Grand Junction
Day 6 – Drive to Moab via scenic route 128 and continue to Arches National Park and visit the amazing park, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Moab
Day 7 – 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 8 – Drive to Montrose and visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and then continue to Ouray, 4.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Ouray
Day 9 – Drive south on the scenic Million Dollar Hwy and visit the picturesque towns and natural areas along this route, continue to Mesa Verde National Park and spend the afternoon in this park, 3.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Mesa Verde or Cortez
Day 10 – Drive to Great Sand Dunes National Park and spend the afternoon in this wonderful park, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Great Sand Dunes or Alamosa
Day 11 – Continue to Colorado Springs and visit Garden of the Gods and drive up to Pikes Peaks, in the evening drive back to Denver, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Denver
Day 12 – 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.
