Denver Circular 3 – 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 day in Denver
Lodging location: Denver
Day 3 – 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 4 – Hike and travel in the eastern part of the Rocky Mountain National Park, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Estes Park
Day 5 – Enjoy one more day in the eastern part of the Rocky Mountain National Park or join activities (such as rafting) out of Estes Park, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Estes Park
Day 6 – Cross the Rocky Mountain National Park on Trail Ridge Road and stop and hike along this scenic route, 1.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Grand Lake
Day 7 – Drive to Aspen in scenic route 82 and enjoy the afternoon in the town, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Aspen
Day 8 – Spend the day in activities and recreation in Aspen
Lodging location: Aspen
Day 9 – Drive to Grand Junction and visit Colorado National Monument, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Grand Junction
Day 10 – Drive to Moab via scenic route 128 and then go rafting on the Colorado River (out of Moab), 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Moab
Day 11 – Visit Arches National Park, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Moab
Day 12 – Visit Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky district), 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Moab
Day 13 – Spend some more time in the Moab area and then drive to Montrose, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Montrose
Day 14 – Visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and then continue south to Ouray, 1.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Ouray
Day 15 – Drive south on the scenic Million Dollar Hwy and visit the picturesque towns and natural areas along this route, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Durango
Day 16 – Drive to Mesa Verde National Park and spend the day in this park, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Mesa Verde or Cortez
Day 17 – 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 18 – Spend the morning in Great Sand Dunes National Park and continue to Colorado Springs, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Colorado Springs
Day 19 – Visit Garden of the Gods and drive up to Pikes Peaks, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Colorado Springs
Day 20 – Drive to Denver and enjoy an afternoon in the city (on the way you may stop at this outlet), 1 hour drive
Lodging location: Denver
Day 21 – 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.
