I'm still trying to decide if I can make it to MITM this year, I have to be in Denver in Oct. for a conference and I am running alternatives. I'm thinking about stopping overnight on the way in in Estes Park and then going through RMNP on US34, picking up US40 at Granby down to I70 and then Copper Mt. Mapquest says 140 miles, 2.75 hours. I suspect it is more like 140 miles, 5 hours. Can anyone familiar with the area confirm or deny? Weather permitting I will stop periodically (frequently?) for pix, especially at continental divide, etc.

 

Hi Zinvestor!

I met you at the Dragon and I remember that you were trying to decide if you could make it to MITM.

I've driven the drive you're asking about but it's been awhile so my memory is rusty. My vague memory and general sense is that while 2.75 hours might be a little on the short side, 5 hours sounds way too long (even with photo stops and such). Maybe more like 3.5 hours?

The Granby to Copper part should only take about an hour- no problem and nothing really to slow you down. I really think 2.5 hours should be all it would take to go through Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park.

Anyone else more recently drive this?

-Heather

 

This would be a really nice scenic ride but just so you're not caught unaware, you will have to pay an entrance fee into RMNP just to drive through. The fee is around $25. You might want to consider taking route 7 to 72 to 119 to I70 then west to Copper Mountain. This is an official Scenic Hwy so many photo opportunities exist there too.
See ya at MITM2

 

Understand about the NP fee, but there is some nostalgia involved here. In 195x my family did RMNP, camped just W of divide, have a really old pic of self straddling the Colorado. On that trip we went on W and hit Bryce, Zion, GC, Vegas, LA, SF, Mt. Hood, Mt. Ranier and Glacier NP. Started and ended in Detroit, 3 weeks driving, camping alternate nights, drove through from DTW to Den and from E of Glacier to DTW. Not going to do all of that, but RMNP could be fun.

 

Hi Heather,

I remember from the Dragon, I offered you a passenger seat on the Midnight run, but didn't see you at either the Monte Carlo or beginning of the run so I figured you were either packing up or trying to get an early start Sun. Thanks for the input re timing. Still trying to decide what to do.

 

Is to plan the better part of 4 hrs....from Estes. Again, depending on timing, there may or may not be much traffic. If you leave Estes early AM, then go up and over, by the time you get to Granby it is still midmorning and it is truly not that long from Grand Lake Towne (no side of the lake, just under RMNP) to Copper. Allow 1:45 for that part of the trip.

Jonathan