Scenic drive from Denver to Las Vegas in 9 days July - recommendations?

[doogo]

Folks,
Thanks for all your replies - information much appreciated.

I may not have put my message across as clearly as possible - I do understand that I could get from Denver to Vegas in less than 2 days but I want to take time to see the sights along the way - maybe by spending more time north of Denver in Rocky Mountain NP or going via Colorado Springs - Gunnison etc. - but thanks for all the suggestions - much appreciated

Irish3evr - i will IM you after this post and we can sway stories

cheers
d

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by doogo

Hi there folks,
I'm a newbie from Ireland - researching a road trip from Denver to Las Vegas with my missus this July

We have 8 or 9 days to get from Denver to Vegas, by car.
We would like to take in a couple of hikes (short to full day) or maybe a rafting session
Happy to do long early morning drives so we can get to a scenic point for the afternoon

Moab is a must - Grand Canyon is not - would like to know about 14ers that might be doable on route

Any experiences you can share would be most appreciated. Am more than happy to trade Ireland hideaways in exchange!!

Okay, 8-9 days, Denver to LV, one way, not round trip. I'd recommend at least 5 of those days in the mountains of CO, maybe 6 days. Once you get out of Durango, CO, the terrain gets flat and very desertlike, a whole other world.

There are some mountains in N. AZ, around Flagstaff and Williams, etc. The Grand Canyon is an hour north of Williams, AZ, has hiking and views you won't believe, worth a side trip. Lodging and eats right at the rim of the canyon, more in Williams. If you go by Williams, eat at the Pine Country Inn, amazing PIES in this place, gotta try them if you go near. Northern AZ is a lot cooler than the heat of Phoenix, AZ.

Tons of hiking to do, as near as Boulder and all the way through the mountains. I'm not hiker, thus must defer to those who are.

I'd go up through Estes Park, take the tram up the hill, drive over Trail Ridge Road, come down to Grand Lake, maybe spend the night at Winding River Resort, which has hiking and horseback trails near the headwaters of the Colorado River.

Then I'd just meander around the mountains, where the roads have to follow the mountains and there are few direct routes, but if you have 9 days, so what, just enjoy it all.

From Grand Lake, my route would take me south on Hwy 34, then west on Hwy 40 to Kremmling, then south on Hwy 9 to Silverthorn and I-70, then west on I-70 to Copper Mountain, then south on Hwy 91 going through Leadville and then meet up with Hwy 82 where you head west by Twin Lakes and hit the wealthy mecca of Aspen. Keep heading westerly on Hwy and at Carbondale head south on Hwy 133, then at Hotchkiss try Hwy 92 down towards Sapinero, then pickup Hwy 50 westbound and head over to Montrose, then south on Hwy 550 through some of the best scenery on earth, eventually getting to Durango. You could spend six days on this quite easily, and still only see a fraction of the great mountains here in COLO.

Leaving Durango, I'd suggest Hwy 160 west, to Cortez, CO, then southwesterly on Hwy 160 all the way to Tuba City, AZ, going through various Indian Reservations. Just past Tuba City, AZ, turn south on Hwy 89 and then near Cameron, AZ, head west on Hwy 64 to the Grand Canyon (if you haven't seen it, I urge you to do so). From the Grand Canyon, head south for an hour on Hwys 180 / 64 to get to Williams, AZ. From Williams, AZ, head west on I-40 to Seligman, where I recommend diverging onto Hwy 66 west to see some of the old towns along Route 66. During the Great Depression, hundreds of thousands of near-starving Americans traveled west on Route 66 to the greener pastures of California. For its role in that westward migration, Route 66 became known as the "Mother Road" and was immortalized in the notable movie "Grapes of Wrath." Route 66 will bring you to Kingman, AZ, where you turn northwest onto Hwy 93 for the trip to Las Vegas. Hwy 93 will take you across Hoover Dam, one of the man-made wonders of the world and is worth a short visit (though I recommend the more expensive tour of the dam). It's less than an hour drive from Hoover Dam to Las Vegas, which is a wonder in itself.

There are numerous other ways to take this trip, and it's fine with me if other people take exception to my meanderings. Hopefully the hikers will chime in with some 'must-do' stops along the way.

[Abspe]

The drive through Utah is beautiful. Valley of Fire is a nice stop too.

[hollygoelightly]

Hello,

We're coming over from Germany in Oct. to drive from Denver to Las Vegas. The state parks in Utah are a must, but we were wondering where we should stay?

We're still researching, but just know I want to see Zion. Nothing else for sure. Saw Mystic Springs and thought that might be a hoot.

If anyone can offer any suggestions, we'd greatly appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Robin

[choosing78]

I second the notion of including Sedona/Flagstaff. Lots of hiking in the Sedona area. Mount Humphrey's in Flagstaff is the highest peak in AZ at 12600 and gives a great view (all the way to the grand canyon). Lucky for you there's lots of great routes to take and they will pretty much all be scenic. Have you been to the Grand Canyon before? There's tons of hiking and definitely worth the trip.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by hollygoelightly

Hello,

We're coming over from Germany in Oct. to drive from Denver to Las Vegas. The state parks in Utah are a must, but we were wondering where we should stay?

We're still researching, but just know I want to see Zion. Nothing else for sure. Saw Mystic Springs and thought that might be a hoot.

If anyone can offer any suggestions, we'd greatly appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Robin

You'll probably want to stay in the St George area. Cedar City may be okay, too. Longer to Zion, but closer to Bryce.