Best route thru colorado

[Larrydan]

Anyone got any tips to help us decide which route to take from tx/ok border to telluride. Looks like denver may be the safest (least steep inclines) but the long way around....whereas the lower route thru cortez, but we're kinda scared of what the moutain passes might be like. And then there is hwy 50, the middle road but we dont know how those passes are either. We have seen by car the drive from durango to silverton and fear these routes might be like that. Any info or input would be appreciated.

[twogypsies]

Your best bet is probably to take Hwy 50. However, you will have Monarch Pass at 11,312' elevation to deal with. Westbound 6% descent for 9 miles. Any way you go you will have Passes to cross. You do know that Telluride is in the mountains, don't you? From Cortez, Hwy 145 really isn't that bad but you still have Lizard Head Pass at 10,222' elevation. Going to Denver isn't going to take away any mountain driving to get to Telluride. A suggestion is for you to purchase the "Mountain Directory West" which gives all the pass descriptions so you know what to expect. (They also make a "East" directory, also.) You can purchase these online or at Camping World, etc. Very worthwhile. Have a good trip!

[dustytwo]

Hwy 50 across the Monarch to Montrose, CO is a good road and I consider it to be an easy drive. Hwy 145 from Cortez to Telluride is a pretty good road. It has reasonable road shoulders in most places, but can be a little narrow at times. I drove it this last July because I did not want to drive Hwy 550 from Durango to Ouray. I do not think you save anything by going all the way up to I-70 and going West. I have a 34 ft Class A (Gas) with a tow.

[TheLoveCoach]

I agree with the route suggested by dustytwo. It is a beautiful drive coming in from the montrose side. The road between Silverton and Ouray is steep and curvy with hardly any shoulder and sheer drop offs. Beautiful vistas, but would be white-knuckle in our motorhome.

[Stumblefoot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larrydan Anyone got any tips to help us decide which route to take from tx/ok border to telluride.

You don't indicate what your rig is, or what concerned you about your car drive over the Million Dollar Highway, but whatever you do, don't go all the way to Denver. You'd still be 7 hours away and face the Eisenhower Tunnel (elev. 11,013) and Vail Pass (elev. 10,617).

CO Hwy 145 from Cortez to Telluride is a good road, but you'll encounter Lizard Head Pass (elev. 10,222) near beautiful Trout Lake. And, the road considerably narrows before the town of Ophir.

US Hwy 50 is a breeze and Monarch Pass has lots of passing lanes. The drive in from Montrose is stunning and you'll get a chance to see Ralph Lauren's breathtaking property on CO Hwy 62.

Enjoy your trip. I think Telluride just might be the most beautiful place on earth. And, if you have any questions on the area's campgrounds, let me know as I've stayed in most of them in and around Telluride.

[Larrydan]

Thanks everyone for the feedback on our telluride trip. Stumblefoot, we share your love of telluride..always been there by car, but this time in our 37.5 diesel pusher and just couldnt remember the difference in the routes elevations and steep inclines, narrow roads and very scarey dropoffs. Mainly it is the steep inclines and brake-trying descensions down those curvy roads that we prefer to avoid. We get a little more chicken with each passing year! We thought we would try to stay at ridgeway state park and drive the toad into telluride each day....any better suggestions? Thanks again for all the help. Next we will be trying to find the same thing about our second destination.....lake tahoe, if anyone has info about elevation choices that direction too.

[twogypsies]

Hope you're taking California Hwy 375 to Tahoe. It's a beautiful drive. Your diesel would do just fine. Have a good trip!

We're going to be at Ridgeway ourselves in a few weeks. We boondocked in Silverton along Hwy 550 in July for a couple weeks and have done the tour of Colorado since. And yes, we drove Hwy 550 from Durango to Ouray with the motorhome. We're done it a few times now. Gets easier each time! We're heading out of the state via Ouray area to hopefully find some fall color in Sept. Then it's Utah and finally Arizona for the winter.

[Stumblefoot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larrydan We thought we would try to stay at ridgeway state park and drive the toad into telluride each day....any better suggestions?

Ridgway is a fine state park, but it's nearly 50 miles away and will take you at least an hour to reach Telluride. I'd recommend staying closer in one of the developed Forest Service campgrounds south of Telluride.

My absolute favorite is Matterhorn which is only 7 miles south of town. The views are excellent, there is a stream that runs through it, and hiking is out your back door. Electrical hookups are available, as well as flush toilets and showers.

If you don't need hookups, then Sunshine is also a good choice. It's only 5 miles south of Telluride and you can use the showers at Matterhorn. The road is paved, as well as each camp site. The campground is set among the aspens and some sites have incredible views of Sunshine peak.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larrydan Next we will be trying to find the same thing about our second destination.....lake tahoe, if anyone has info about elevation choices that direction too.

The route I would recommend would be the "Loneliest Highway in America", better known as US Hwy 50. You're very close to it in Telluride and the scenery is suprisingly good. And, you can make the trip in a day as it's only about 850 miles. Gotta love those 75 mph speed limits!

Have a great time. And, eat some pasta and drink a little Italian vino at Rustico's while in Telluride!