Durango to Breckenridge CO

[ronandsue74]

We are planning on driving from Durango to Breckenridge in June of this year.
Our rig is a 36' diesel pulling a 4500 lb tow vehicle.
We have driven through many mountains throughout our motor-homing years but we are not familiar with this route.
Looking for advise from those that have done this route in the past.
Thank you,
RJ
2005 CC Inspire #51264

[exgman]

I did that route in a 40'er towing a Jeep about 10 years ago and it was fine. Hoosier Pass is about 11,500 so watch the weather in that area. The road on the north side of the pass is pretty curvy, but doable. You seem to be comfortable on mountain roads so you shouldn't have any trouble.

[twogypsies]

If you take 160 to 285 to Buena Vista and north on 24 to 91 it's 300 miles.

Fremont Pass (Hwy 91) heading north has a descent of 4% for 1-1/2 mi and 7% for 3 miles then 3 miles of 5-6%.

Hoosier Pass (Hwy 9) has a 8% for 4 miles heading north with hairpin turns all the way down

[Big Dude]

I have been Durango to Del Norte on US-160, then CO-112 to US-285 as far as Fairplay with no problem. I've not been over CO-9 from Fairplay to Breckenridge so can't speak to it. I have been over US-550 from Durango north by car a few times and while others do it, I would never go that way it in my coach. Can't speak to the routes thru Leadville either.

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

If you take 160 to 285 to Buena Vista and north on 24 to 91 it's 300 miles.

Fremont Pass (Hwy 91) heading north has a descent of 4% for 1-1/2 mi and 7% for 3 miles then 3 miles of 5-6%.

Hoosier Pass (Hwy 9) has a 8% for 4 miles heading north with hairpin turns all the way down

As usual twogypsies has given the complete answer. Only thing I'd add is this route could take me a week or two as there are alot of great stops along the way.

Best of Luck,

[RPreeb]

Originally Posted by Busskipper

As usual twogypsies has given the complete answer. Only thing I'd add is this route could take me a week or two as there are alot of great stops along the way.

Best of Luck,

I agree with Busskipper. Traveling through that area, I wouldn't want to miss wandering through Creede and Lake City, for just a couple of stops. Lots of Colorado gold rush history in the area.

[Joecubana]

+1 for Buena Vista to 24/91
Done that a couple times in an old 30' (though no toad). Make sure to leave a day to puts around Leadville....I love it there.

Wish I was heading back there!

Originally Posted by twogypsies

If you take 160 to 285 to Buena Vista and north on 24 to 91 it's 300 miles.

Fremont Pass (Hwy 91) heading north has a descent of 4% for 1-1/2 mi and 7% for 3 miles then 3 miles of 5-6%.

Hoosier Pass (Hwy 9) has a 8% for 4 miles heading north with hairpin turns all the way down

[colobear]

If you are going through leadville the National Mining Museum there is worth a stop. Who knew about the connections between mining and toothpaste!
Barry and Patti Daniel (formerly of Gunnison, Colorado)

[HarleySG]

Easiest route IMO:
Durango => Million Dollar Highway through Ouray (550), to Delta.
East on 92 and 133 to Carbondale and Glenwood Springs. Love Glenwood Springs. Glenwood Springs to Breck via I70 (Glenwood Canyon should be on everyone's bucket list).

Hoosier Pass has sharp hairpin turns. I would not recommend it.

[TexasTom]

Hoosier Pass will get your attention in a car, so I have always made it a point to approach Breckenridge from I-70 through Frisco.

[Betr2Trvl]

I drove Hoosier pass southbound last summer heading out of Breck to Colorado Springs (we did a trip over it I the toad before to check it out) and it really was no big deal in our gasser with our toad. Sure, a bit slow, but it's a slow road anyway for everyone.

The north side, which we went up, is curvy, but the road is very good and lanes are plenty wide to maneuver though the curves. Granted, those turns were easier in a shorter coach. The south side of the pass is much straighter.

Huge pull off area at a the top of the pass as well to let everyone by if needed and to check things before heading down; don't remember how many pull offs on either side, but don't recall it being any sort of issue.

Vail pass eastbound (drivng from from Glenwood Springs to Breck) was a much longer slower, climb, with the long down grade on the other side, although obviously with larger "interstate" type curves.

We had also taken hwy 2 south out of Butte to 41 to 287 to get to West Yellowstone (route suggestion from another iRV2er, that I would have never taken with his insight and full disclosure of the route) earlier in our trip. Again, a few curvy, steeper climbs, but just going slow and easy, using turn offs to let traffic by, it was proably the most beautiful travel day of our big west / Rockies adventure last summer.

It's really what you are comfortable with but I found neither router noted intimidating for our first time out west. In fact, I think some of the roads we've driven the RV in Western NC and eastern TN, while not as long may be steeper and tighter in some places with due consideration for the "tail of the dragon", 19 east of Cherokee, and Blue Ridge Pkwy (imho), being generally off limits to most / larger RVs.

[Betr2Trvl]

This paragraph should read (and makes much more sense of course ):

We had also taken hwy 2 south out of Butte to 41 to 287 to get to West Yellowstone (route suggestion from another iRV2er, that I would have never taken without his insight and full disclosure of the route) earlier in our trip. Again, a few curvy, steeper climbs, but just going slow and easy, using turn offs to let traffic by, it was proably the most beautiful travel day of our big west / Rockies adventure last summer.

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by ronandsue74

We are planning on driving from Durango to Breckenridge in June of this year.
Our rig is a 36' diesel pulling a 4500 lb tow vehicle.
We have driven through many mountains throughout our motor-homing years but we are not familiar with this route.
Looking for advise from those that have done this route in the past.
Thank you,
RJ
2005 CC Inspire #51264

Thought about this a little more and decide to give my own take.

Route that IMHO is most direct and would be easy and FUN --

#1. MAP -- https://binged.it/2oyPS2o

BUT - there are a number of other equally Fun and Equally Inspiring routes you could think about.

RT 550 to Montrose then across RT 50 to Salida and up.

#2. Map -- https://binged.it/2oz9ROo This would deliver - Silverton - Ouray - Black Canyon of the Gunnison - possibly Crested Butte - the Collegiates - for only 80 - 90 more miles.

You could run the East side of the San Juans Rt 145 to Telluride and up to Marble and then across

#3. Map -- https://binged.it/2oi94VU This could expose you to Mesa Verde - Rico - Dunton - Trout Lake - Telluride - Last Dollar Ranch - Black Canyon - Marble - RedStone - Maroon Bells - Day Trip over Independence Pass (Length Restricted) - Minturn - Red Cliff - Camp Hale - Leadville and Quincy's - Breck. Then if the Collegiates are to be included they are just down the road from Leadville - or a Day trip from Breck.

While option #3 is much longer it is also most likely MY CHOICE if I were the driver in this Adventure, with me driving the Toad In and Around the San Juan's - Silverton - Ouray and Lake City - and as many of the 4X4 trails as possible before doing the Clockwise Route through some of Colorado's most beautiful areas.

Sorry, but for me it would be just too Hard to try to go from A to B - Way too much to see and do in Colorado.

Having done all these routes, more than once - I have never driven - Hiked or just Looked out across the Mountains, in these areas, that I did not discover something new, and exciting.

So - which route did you choose? So many choices - so little time.

Just a couple more options,

.........

[ronandsue74]

Thank you for all the feedback/recommendations y'all have sent to me.
We only have two weeks to complete this trip as we will be traveling with Grandkids.
We will probably take the RT 550 to Montrose then across RT 50 to Salida and up as this appears to be the moist direct.
We would love to go up through Ouray but the Million Dollar Hi-way might be more of a thrill ride than we are looking for in our coach pulling a towed.
Again Thanks,
RJ
2005 CC Inspire #51264