Best times to visit Denver? (law, car, friendly)

[COSpringsBound]

Originally Posted by smdensbcs

Others have given good advice (Hwy 83, etc) but in general Denver is unfortunately similar to other large metropolis car-oriented cities of several million - the road infrastructure never quite seems to keep up with the influx of population from decade to decade. I thought traffic was generally awful when I lived in Denver from 1996-2000 but at this point I'll just try to avoid travelling through Denver altogether. It's just a traffic jam waiting to happen, anytime, anyplace. With more people you get rising real-estate prices (which is a good/bad thing), lot's of "vibrant" downtown stuff, but also unbearably awful traffic, on the interstates, on the side streets, everywhere. It just is what it is. It's why I live in the quiet foothills of Colorado Springs where I enjoy my daily 12-15 minute commute downtown. Denver's a great city and all but the traffic is (shudder) horrendous. I have better things to do with my life than sit in traffic everywhere I try to go (work/mountains/store/in-laws/anything). Sorry to rant here, but it's a fact of life in Colorado that goes under-observed, that Denver traffic is something to be avoided if at all possible.

One of the reasons why I left NY. If you think Denver is bad, try merging onto Long Island Expressway at 4PM. One time it took me 3 hours to go 15 miles just to drop off a suitcase for repair. I had them ship it back to me rather than go through that again.

[bluescreen73]

If you're planning to hit up Castlewood any time within the next couple weeks be prepared for icy conditions should you decide to leave the Canyon View Nature Trail above the canyon rim. Having a pair of microspikes handy could prevent you from taking a digger on the Inner Canyon, Lake Gulch, Rimrock, or Creek Bottom trails.

[otowi]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

If you're planning to hit up Castlewood any time within the next couple weeks be prepared for icy conditions should you decide to leave the Canyon View Nature Trail above the canyon rim. Having a pair of microspikes handy could prevent you from taking a digger on the Inner Canyon, Lake Gulch, Rimrock, or Creek Bottom trails.

I was going to mention that, too - I love Castlewood Canyon in spring especially. Right now it is likely to be an icy decent down into the canyon depending on your approach so you will feel a lot better with some spikes.

[smdensbcs]

Originally Posted by COSpringsBound

One of the reasons why I left NY. If you think Denver is bad, try merging onto Long Island Expressway at 4PM. One time it took me 3 hours to go 15 miles just to drop off a suitcase for repair. I had them ship it back to me rather than go through that again.

That's funny. But you know there's some dude in Beijing who's gonna find this thread and be like "What! It only took you three hours to go 15 miles!?!? You call that traffic? I was in the MOATJ (Mother of all Traffic Jams) back in 2009. We sat in our cars three weeks and ate whatever the street vendors bring us! You wimpy. I dream of 15 miles in three hours. You should enjoy that speed spoiled New York driver with your easy commutes!"

So, uh, yeah, Denver's not Beijing or the maybe even the Long Island Expressway but when somebody asks on city-data when the "best" time to visit Denver to avoid traffic my first thought is "...sometime between never and 3:30AM."

[Phil P]

I've had luck after 8-9pm lol. It's usually clear and I can travel between the two in about an hour. Like others said, 83 is the best bet if you are on the east side of the Springs. Even if it's not faster, it's more beautiful.

[COSpringsBound]

I just took a trip up to Canyonwood and Cherry Creek on Route 83 this weekend. Aside from a few lights, that was some pretty smooth and scenic driving. I'll definitely be driving that route more often.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by COSpringsBound

I just took a trip up to Canyonwood and Cherry Creek on Route 83 this weekend. Aside from a few lights, that was some pretty smooth and scenic driving. I'll definitely be driving that route more often.

Did you mean to say Castlewood?

Hwy 83 is a nice drive, but 2-lane undivided roads with oncoming traffic at 55MPH+ present more danger than I care to chance.

[COSpringsBound]

Right Castlewood, the name of the park got gelled into one word for me, LOL. I've driven on two lane roads all over the country so I'm used to them, and have a turbo engine that helps a lot here when I need to pass a slow poke.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by COSpringsBound

Right Castlewood, the name of the park got gelled into one word for me, LOL. I've driven on two lane roads all over the country so I'm used to them, and have a turbo engine that helps a lot here when I need to pass a slow poke.

Passing on those 2 lane roads is part of what worries me so much and why Rte 83 is just my backup to when I-25 is closed.

Back east we had U.S.1 running from ME to FL. Mostly a 4-lane highway with just a yellow line as a divider. The MD State Troopers referred to the stretch of U.S.1 between Baltimore and DC as "blood alley" for all the gory head-on collisions on that undivided highway back in the day before seat belts and airbags. In Driver Ed classes the cliche back then was "death rides the yellow line."

[COSpringsBound]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Passing on those 2 lane roads is part of what worries me so much and why Rte 83 is just my backup to when I-25 is closed.

Back east we had U.S.1 running from ME to FL. Mostly a 4-lane highway with just a yellow line as a divider. The MD State Troopers referred to the stretch of U.S.1 between Baltimore and DC as "blood alley" for all the gory head-on collisions on that undivided highway back in the day before seat belts and airbags. In Driver Ed classes the cliche back then was "death rides the yellow line."

The worst are those undivided lanes on roads with switchbacks and no guard rails, like the Million Dollar highway. I don't care if I get ticketed, I've often hugged the cliff in the wrong lane just to stay as far away from the ledge as possible. NOPE. I can't believe I see people driving RVs on these roads too. I don't know how they do it.