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Old 04-07-2011, 08:17 AM
 
Location: Denver, CO
18 posts, read 34,506 times
Reputation: 32

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Hello, all.

This will be my first summer in Colorado, and as I'm in the middle of makin' some plans (for us and for visitors) I just wanted to get an idea of what mountain traffic is like from Denver on the weekends. I know during ski season it's avoid-avoid-avoid during Fridays and Sundays, but what about summer?

If I were planning to take some people up to RMNP on a June weekend, is it gonna be crazy? Is there much difference between going on a Saturday or Sunday?

Similarly, what's driving up to Vail like on a Friday night?

Sorry if these questions seem silly, just trying to gather some info.

Thanks!
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Old 04-07-2011, 12:20 PM
 
Location: Denver, Colorado
109 posts, read 278,167 times
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Late afternoons Friday-Sunday are times you wan to avoid being on I-70 year round. Traffic is not quite as bad during the summer though. And if you manage to avoid city traffic, driving up to vail should be a breeze Friday afternoons. Traffic will be bad headed toward the city.
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Old 04-07-2011, 12:22 PM
 
Location: Denver, Colorado
109 posts, read 278,167 times
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Most routes to RMNP avoid I-70 completely so city traffic is all you would need to worry about
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Old 04-07-2011, 02:32 PM
 
2,253 posts, read 6,974,679 times
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Wink Strategy

To begin with, I would avoid weekends altogether, although recognizing that many do not have that option.

I generally avoid Denver, but once free of it you'll surely find that everyone else has the same idea beginning mid-Friday afternoon until into the evening.That would probably be the best time not to venture onto I-70 west from Denver. I suspect an early afternoon departure would be fine, or unless late night/early am that summer weekend traffic will be on the high side of moderate, but generally moving at or above the speed limits. In other words, not great on weekends, but better than winter. Sunday afternoon, eastbound, is probably not much of a picnic.

Visiting Rocky Mountain National Park will be similar, if without the sheer volume of traffic I-70 experiences. Save late night/early am, you'll generally find summer weekend traffic to be moderately heavy and consistent. But not crazy. Just a fair amount of it. That would apply to either US 36 via Lyons, or US 34 from Loveland. This would not apply from Denver, but if across Trail Ridge Road from Grand Lake expect a fair number of tourists at or below the 35mph posted limit.

Estes Park is a zoo come summer. That principally means July and August, but activity appreciably increases from Memorial Day, and indeed prior to that when school adjourns for the summer. Particularly in June, one would save themselves a good deal of trouble if visiting mid-week. Actually, that is good advice any time of year, save perhaps the most somnolent period of winter. But if a determined weekend warrior, then some strategies can help. Within Estes Park itself most of the activity is centered along a few blocks of Elkhorn Avenue. The town offers a number of different free parking lots, more than a few in close proximity to the shops and restaurants. Other than luck, one thing is to look for some of the less obvious lots that are still within a relatively short walk.

If a summer weekend, and preferring the locals that everyone else does, then one can expect to see a lot of wildlife in RMNP, the vast majority of it tourists. But the implication, and truth in contrast is that since everyone reliably congregates in the same places repeatedly, that solitude if sought can be found elsewhere. That elsewhere encompasses most of the Park, just not most of the roads, campgrounds, or more accessible and popular hiking trails. If a picnic, and possibly a halfway quiet one, then it can be had if looking for picnic areas in more out of the way spots, and guaranteed if actually venturing into the woods. On busy occasions there can be a conga line of automobiles waiting to pass into the Park at the main Beaver Meadows entrance, less so at the north entrance. But once within the Park traffic will more or less flow at the 35mph limit, with the exception of Trail Ridge Road, where it technically kind of might, but seemingly takes forever. Fortunately the fantastic alpine scenery can make up for that, if it the purpose of the trip.

The Old Fall River Road, from the Endo Valley up to join Trail Ridge Road at the Alpine Visitors Center, is another matter. Not only is it one way only, from Endo Valley to the AVC, but also dirt. Also relatively narrow, with only occasional turnoffs, and certainly areas where many motorists are inclined to slow down even more, perhaps due scenery, or just so as to remain on the road and not over a cliff. The moral of this story is do not venture onto that road during the day in summer (and it is closed in winter, and quite possibly part of June) unless preferring to be in a line of vehicles, eating their dust, or just a masochist. Remember, once started up this road there is no way back until reaching the AVC, about 11 long miles distant. It is a lovely drive, but for those preferring more solitude than traffic the best time t venture it is early, early in the morning, or near dark-thirty in the evening. Night would be best from that standpoint, although scenery then tends more towards the stars and moon.

To sum this up, if observing your fellow humans, and not following their patterns, then one will not be surrounded by them - unless wishing to be.
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Old 04-07-2011, 05:02 PM
 
Location: Ned CO @ 8300'
2,075 posts, read 5,113,559 times
Reputation: 3049
Summer weekend traffic on I-70 can be as bad as it gets during ski season.The summer of 2009 set records:
KDVR Denver September 2, 2009
FRISCO, Colorado—
It's been a record-setting summer for Colorado (http://www.kdvr.com/topic/us/colorado-PLGEO1001017000000000.topic - broken link)'s Eisenhower Tunnel, which had the busiest month in its 36-year history when 1.2 million vehicles drove through in July.
And a new record for August traffic at tunnel on Interstate 70 was set, with 1.16 million vehicles counted. Last month's tally for the tunnel on Interstate 70 was nearly 42,000 more vehicles than the total last August.
A 24-hour record was set Aug. 2 with 50,918 vehicles driving through the tunnel. The highest three-day count of 148,300 vehicles was set Aug. 7 through 9.

Last edited by Neditate; 04-07-2011 at 05:22 PM.. Reason: add info
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Old 04-07-2011, 09:53 PM
 
726 posts, read 2,144,156 times
Reputation: 425
I guess we've been lucky but we just have never hit what I would consider bad traffic summer or winter. To me bad traffic is bumper to bumper not moving and it taking an hour to go 15 miles. We go to either Winter Park or Copper (and Steamboat) every weekend. Granted when we go to steamboat we stay the weekend.In the summer we are on I70 or 285 every weekend.I think maybe the key is to travel when no one else is. We head out for skiing at about 6:30am. We come back at 1:30pm. If we are going camping we leave around 7:30 friday night. I use the cdot website to watch for weather, construction, expected traffic issues. If things look sketchy we take alternate routes. There are a few choices on how to get in to rocky mountain so I would advise watching cdot for updates. If the stupid fed shutdown happens, the hiking trails may be the only way in (?)
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Old 04-10-2011, 11:42 AM
 
Location: Denver, CO
18 posts, read 34,506 times
Reputation: 32
Thanks for all the info, guys. Appreciate it. Looks like timing is everything! I'm hoping to make the RMNP trip on a Friday morning/afternoon (in June) so hopefully that will stem some of the crazy, but we're prepared for it being busy.

Enjoying the already-lovely spring weather!
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Old 04-12-2011, 12:14 AM
 
Location: denver
27 posts, read 92,996 times
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Denver traffic is heavy in the summer as everyone is out doing stuff and traffic can be heavy in the mountains but not always so it wouldnt matter which day ud leave. But the weekends can be busy as alot of people go camping and fishing in the mountains.
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