The Best Colorado National Park Road Trip for 7 to 10 Days
This Colorado National Park road trip features mountains, waterfalls, canyons and sand dunes.
Mountain summits soaring to 14,000 feet, the tallest sand dunes in North America, ancient archeological sites — it’s all in the plans on this Colorado national parks road trip. The Centennial State has 13 National Park Service units, one World Heritage Site, and endless outdoor playgrounds of peaks, canyons and lakes.
This Colorado road trip itinerary focuses on the four national parks with options to visit a few incredible national monuments, too. You’ll need at least a week to squeeze them all in at a fast pace. We’ve included ideas for everything from a 7 day Colorado road trip to a 10 day Colorado itinerary.
The routes below assume you’re starting in Denver, but you could also easily depart from Colorado Springs or Grand Junction. Or, jump in anywhere else along the loop if you’re driving in from another state. Use the included Colorado road trip map to locate each park and the other featured attractions.
This guide has four parts: a map, itinerary options, a list of Colorado road trip stops, and a tips section.
We can’t wait for you to get out and explore this incredible state!
What national parks will you cross off your bucket list on this Colorado road trip itinerary? Rocky Mountain National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, and Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Colorado Road Trip Map
Colorado National Park Road Trip Options
7 Day Colorado Road Trip from Denver
Day 1: Peak to Peak Scenic Byway to Rocky Mountain National Park
Day 2: Rocky Mountain National Park and Trail Ridge Road
Day 3: Colorado National Monument
Day 4: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Million Dollar Highway
Day 5: Mesa Verde National Park
Day 6: Great Sand Dunes National Park
Day 7: Great Sand Dunes to Colorado Springs to Denver
8 Day Itinerary for Colorado
Day 1: Peak to Peak to Rocky Mountain National Park
Day 2: Rocky Mountain National Park
Day 3: Trail Ridge Road to Grand Junction
Day 4: Colorado National Monument and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Day 5: Million Dollar Highway to Ouray, Silverton and Durango
Day 6: Mesa Verde National Park
Day 7: Great Sand Dunes National Park
Day 8: Great Sand Dunes to Colorado Springs to Denver
9 Day Colorado Road Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Peak to Peak Scenic Byway to Estes Park
Day 2: Rocky Mountain National Park
Day 3: Trail Ridge Road to Grand Junction
Day 4: Colorado National Monument to Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Day 5: Million Dollar Highway to Ouray, Silverton and Durango
Day 6: Mesa Verde National Park and Canyon of the Ancients
Day 8: Great Sand Dunes to Colorado Springs
Day 9: Colorado Springs and Denver
10 Day Colorado Itinerary
Day 1: Peak-to-Peak Scenic Byway
Day 2: Rocky Mountain National Park
Day 3: Trail Ridge Road to Grand Junction
Day 4: Colorado National Monument and Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP
Day 5: Million Dollar Highway to Ouray, Silverton and Durango
Day 6: Canyon of Ancients National Monument and Hovenweep National Monument
Day 7: Mesa Verde National Park
Day 8: Great Sand Dunes National Park
Day 9: Colorado Springs
Day 10: Colorado Springs to Denver
Colorado National Parks Road Trip Stops
Scenic Drive: Peak to Peak Scenic Byway
From Denver, the most direct route to Rocky Mountain National Park is through the university town of Boulder. But taking the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway instead will only add an hour to the trip, not counting stops. The 55-mile road runs from Black Hawk to Estes Park, the perfect base for visiting Rocky Mountain.
With a full day, you can make stops in old mining towns like Golden on the outskirts of Denver and Nederland on the Peak to Peak or hike a trail in the Wild Basin section of the National Park on the way in. You’ll also want to pull over for photos of Saint Catherine’s Chapel on the Rock and stroll around Lily Lake.
If you have enough time to hike, the Twin Sisters Summit trailhead is across the road from Lily Lake. The 7.4-mile round trip hike leads 2,338 feet up to a panoramic view of Longs Peak and the Continental Divide.
Recommended time: Half to full day
Estes Park
The best base for a Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary, Estes Park has a walkable downtown shopping and dining district on Elkhorn Avenue. It’s also known for the historic Stanley Hotel, the inspiration for Stephen King’s “The Shining.” The Estes Park Aerial Tramway, open from late May through September, glides up to the summit of Prospect Mountain for sweeping vistas over the town.
Recommended time: One to three days in Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
If you enjoy hiking, you could easily spend three days or more in Rocky Mountain National Park. But for your first visit on a Colorado road trip, concentrate on the Bear Lake Corridor. The nearly 10-mile long Bear Lake Road has popular hikes like the Emerald Lake Trail (3.6 miles, moderate) to Nymph, Dream and Emerald lakes, the Bear Lake Loop (0.5 miles, easy), the Alberta Falls Trail (1.7 miles, easy) where you can continue on to Mills Lake (5 miles, moderate), the Bierstadt Lake Trail (2.8 miles, moderate), and the Sprague Lake Loop (0.5, easy). Another favorite, the hike to Cub Lake (4.6 miles, moderate) is also nearby in the Moraine Park area.
With just one day in Rocky Mountain National Park, split your time between a couple of hikes from the Bear Lake and Glacier Gorge Trailhead and the drive on Trail Ridge Road. For two days, spend a full day along Bear Lake Road and then either do a loop of the gravel Old Fall River Road and Trail Ridge Road or head out of the park on Trail Ridge Road with stops to hike. If you have three days, add in the Peak-to-Peak Scenic Byway and a waterfall hike in the Wild Basin region.
Reservations for Rocky Mountain National Park and the Bear Lake Corridor are required between late May and early October and sell out fast. Go online ahead of your visit to book an entry time. Read over the details here.
Recommended time: One to three days
Read more about visiting Rocky Mountain National Park in winter
Scenic Drive: Trail Ridge Road
Trail Ridge Road is both the western access to Rocky Mountain Park and an attraction of its own. The thrilling route full of hairpin turns spans nearly 50 miles between Estes Park on the east side and Grand Lake on the west, hitting an elevation of 12,183 feet at its peak. On a shorter itinerary, you can simply enjoy the scenery from overlooks and the Alpine Visitor Center, which has a cafe and viewing deck. Or, with more time, add in hikes like the Ute Trail to Tombstone Ridge (4 miles, moderate) or the Alpine Ridge Trail (0.5 miles, easy). Allow at least 2 hours to drive out of the park this way without long stops.
Grand Lake at the end of Trail Ridge Road has lodges and restaurants on the shores of Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain Lake.
Recommended time: Half to full day
Colorado National Monument
The drive from Rocky Mountain’s Grand Lake Area to Colorado National Monument is a little over 4 hours, but it’s worth it to see the cool red rock formations at this park near the Utah border. Located just outside the city of Grand Junction, the national monument has a 23-mile scenic drive with pull-offs to enjoy the views of sandstone monoliths in the canyon.
Plan to spend at least half a day on Rim Rock Drive with stops to hike the Window Rock Trail, Otto’s Trail, Canyon Rim Trail, and Coke Ovens Trail, all an easy mile or less. With a little more time, add on the Devil’s Kitchen Trail (1.5 miles, moderate) to a natural bolder grotto on the park’s east side.
Recommended time: Half to full day
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
The Gunnison River weaves through dark rugged cliffs and rock spires at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, located about 70 miles from Grand Junction on the western side of the state. The gorge has a north and south rim you can visit, but it takes more than 2 hours to drive from one to the other.
On a Colorado national park road trip, aim for the more developed South Rim, where a 7-mile paved road with a dozen overlooks traces the edge of the canyon. The easiest lookouts to reach are Tomichi Point near the entrance, Gunnison Point at the South Rim Visitor Center, and Sunset View near the end of the drive. Others require a short walk, like Chasm View, where the canyon dramatically narrows, and the Painted wall, where pale streaks swipe across the dark cliffs.
A half day at this park is usually long enough to take in the scenery at a few lookouts. You can add on some hiking with a longer visit, but all of the official trails on this rim are 2 miles and under.
This is the least visited of the four big parks on this Colorado national parks itinerary, so you should definitely stop by if you have enough time.
Recommended time: Half to full day
Scenic Drive: Million Dollar Highway
U.S. Route 550 is one of the best ways to get from the Black Canyon of the Gunnison to Durango and Mesa Verde National Park, and it also happens to be one of the prettiest drives in the state.
A 25-mile stretch between the mountain towns of Ouray and Silverton known as the Million Dollar Highway weaves through a gorge along steep, unguarded cliffs. There aren’t many places to stop along the way, but the drive is both breathtaking and nail-biting.
If you have enough time, plan to pause in Ouray, known as the Switzerland of America, for hot springs and waterfalls, and Silverton for Victorian buildings and mining history. Both villages have endless outdoor recreation and a charming downtown district.
Recommended time: Half to full day, longer to stay overnight in Ouray or Silverton
Mesa Verde National Park
Ancient cliff dwellings built into the mountains of southwest Colorado are preserved in Mesa Verde National Park. Some of these archeological remains of the Ancestral Pueblo can be seen up close on ranger-led tours and self-guided hikes.
With a full day in the park, reserve a tour of Long House and the Cliff House Palace, hike the 1-mile trail to Step House, and drive Mesa Top Loop to see five different cliff dwellings from the Sun Point View. The old Park Point Fire Lookout at the highest spot in the park is the perfect spot to watch the sunset with panoramas of mountains and deserts.
Mesa Verde is definitely a must-see on a Colorado national parks road trip.
Recommended time: One day
Canyon of the Ancients National Monument
Located west of Mesa Verde near the Utah border, the Canyon of the Ancients National Monument has thousands of archaeological sites — thought to be the highest density in the U.S. For a quick visit, Stop by the Anasazi Heritage Center for history and culture exhibits from the Ancestral Puebloan and the Escalante Pueblo and Dominguez Pueblo sites just outside the building.
If you have more time, head to the Lowry Pueblo, the only developed area in the park with informative signs, or the Painted Hand Pueblo for tower ruins perched atop a rock. The remote 170,000-acre national monument is in the desert with rugged roads and no services.
Recommended time: Half day
Hovenweep National Monument
Hovenweep National Monument spans 20 miles of the Colorado and Utah border near the Canyon of the Ancients and preserves six prehistoric communities. The villages are all spaced out, so most visitors head to the more developed area around the Square Tower Group, built between A.D. 1200 to 1300. This zone has the park’s visitor center, paved roads, and a primitive 2-mile loop trail to see the ruins.
The other five units — Cajon, Holly, Horseshoe, Hackberry and Cutthroat Castle — are very remote and difficult to reach.
Recommended time: Half day
Great Sand Dunes National Park
The 30 square miles of dune fields at Great Sand Dunes National Park reach peaks of nearly 750 feet high. Located in south-central Colorado, the park has alpine lakes, forests and wetlands, but most people come for the giant pile of sand.
You only need a couple of hours here for the most popular activity — sandboarding down the hills. Hiking the ridges to peaks of the dunes can take a little longer. There are no official trails in the sand, but it takes about 2 hours roundtrip to reach the 693-foot top of High Dune and 6 hours or longer to climb up Hidden Dune or Star Dune, tied as the two tallest dunes in North America at 741 feet.
In Spring, Medano Creek forms at the base of the dunes and makes for a beach-like experience.
Recommended time: Half day
Colorado Springs
Just 70 miles south of Denver, Colorado Springs makes a great addition to a Colorado road trip itinerary, with some must-see natural attractions on the west side of the city. With a half to a full day, you can drive or ride a cog train to the 14,115-high top of Pikes Peak for 360-degree views of mountains, lakes and Colorado Springs below.
Next, head to Garden of the Gods for a scenic drive and paved walking paths. One of the best free things to do in Colorado, the park is known for its massive red rocks, spires and boulders that jut up from the landscape.
With any extra time, check out the shops and cafes in the historic downtown district of Old Colorado City and visit cliff dwellings and mineral springs in Manitou Springs.
Recommended time: Half day to two days
Denver
The capital and largest city in Colorado, Denver could be its own mini vacation. But for a quick stop on a Colorado national park road trip, there are a few spots to keep on your radar.
If you haven’t spent any time in downtown Denver, be sure to check out historic Denver Union Station, the shops and eateries in Larimer Square, and the grounds of the State Capitol building. There are tons of museums in the city if you need to escape indoors, including the Denver Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the Molly Brown House Museum.
On the outskirts of the city, drive the scenic loop at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge for a chance to spot bison and deer, head over to the town of Golden for mining history and breweries, or visit the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater to hike or catch a concert.
Recommended time: One to three days
Tips for a Colorado Itinerary
Where do you fly into for a Colorado road trip?
The largest major airport in Colorado is Denver International Airport. From here, you can rent a car for your Colorado national park road trip and make the loop on this itinerary. There is also a smaller airport in Colorado Springs and regional airports in Eagle County near Vail, Grand Junction, Montrose, Telluride, and a few other spots.
What national parks are in Colorado?
Colorado has four national parks and over a dozen total National Park Service units, including national monuments, national historic sites, and national recreation areas. This Colorado national park road trip includes Rocky Mountain National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, and Canyon of the Ancients National Monument.
This list of national parks in the U.S. is organized by state so you can quickly find parks nearby.
How many days for a road trip in Colorado?
I recommend a minimum 7-day Colorado road trip to squeeze in all four national parks, but a 9 or 10-day Colorado road trip would be better. With less than a week in Colorado, it would be best to focus on just a couple of parks — Rocky Mountain could easily fill 3 to 5 days on its own or a short western Colorado road trip could include Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Colorado National Monument.
On an extended trip, you could combine Colorado with a Grand Circle road trip to Utah and Arizona.
What is the road trip distance?
The total distance for the full Colorado national park road trip described above is approximately 1,300 miles round trip from Denver, not counting some extra driving in each park. This clocks in at somewhere around 25 hours on the road.
Best season for a Colorado national park road trip?
Colorado is incredibly beautiful in every season, but some activities are best saved for certain times of the year. This Colorado national parks road trip is best from late spring to early fall when the mountain roads are all open. You could make some route adaptations outside of these months, but you’ll miss out on gems like Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, which typically closes for the season sometime in October.
Since this Colorado road trip itinerary covers a variety of climates, I like a late September or early October visit when the aspens turn golden in the mountains and the weather has cooled a little at the canyons and sand dunes.
