Driving from Portland to Denver

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06-28-2015, 02:04 PM
ladyofthelake

Driving from Portland to Denver

My friend and I are trying to plan a trip. we're starting in portland, heading south down to crater lake and thats really the only plans we have. We need to fill up 3-4 days on our way to Denver with some beautiful sight seeing, hiking, camping? Ive looked up a few national parks, but Id also like to go a little off the beaten path. ANy advice, ideas, routes, suggestions would be greatly appreciated:)
06-28-2015, 03:52 PM
Southwest Dave

A few ideas.

Hello and welcome to RTA !

Well you certainly won't have any trouble filling those days, you could spend 3 or 4 months and not see it all ! You could cut down to Eureka and Ely and travel along US50 aka 'The Loneliest road' and perhaps visit Great Basin NP. I would certainly look at I70 which is one of the most scenic of Interstates and visit Canyonlands and Arches. When [if] rejoining I70 from around Moab, take UT128 through Castle valley which is a lovely drive. A rim drive around the Colorado National Monument is very pleasant. Near Dillon CO you can take a detour across the continental divide on US6 going over Loveland pass at amost 12000ft. If you have enough time remaining then a trip through Rocky mountain NP on the Trail ridge road is one of the top drives. Check on the conditions before travelling as this pass can close suddenly at any time of the year in the event of a storm. You will need to pick and choose carefully as you have almost 3 full days of driving without the sight seeing, so most will have to be done through the windshield of your car if you can't find more time.
06-28-2015, 06:15 PM
Lifemagician

The best advice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladyofthelake

.... Any advice, ideas, routes, suggestions would be greatly appreciated:)

Here's a paragraph written recently by one of the moderators on this forum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZBuck

Start with maps. Not GPS, not software, not Google, but real honest-to-god paper maps that show you your entire route, that you can mark up (and erase), that you can stick pins in, and that show something about the land you'll be driving through. Those are your essential tool in any RoadTrip planning process. Start by marking all the places you know you want to visit. Then connect the dots. Then look for more places of interest and scenic routes and along the lines connecting the dots. Repeat until you've got as many sites and roads as you think you want.

I am yet to read better advice for planning a road trip.

Lifey