Colorado Rockies Loop — 15 Days
Palo Duro → RMNP → Maroon Bells → Mesa Verde → Black Canyon → Colorado NM → Rio Grande del Norte → home
Route Map
● Austin (start/end) · numbered stops in order · dashed line shows approximate route
Estimated Trip Cost
Gas estimate assumes 2WD pickup + travel trailer at 10 mpg, 65 mph max, $3.25/gal regular unleaded (approx. national avg). Includes 2050 mi of stops + 365 mi return to Austin.
Trip Highlights
- ▶ Trail Ridge Road — highest continuous paved highway in the US at 12,183 ft, tundra and 360° alpine views
- ▶ Maroon Bells at dawn from Silver Bell CG — the most photographed mountain scene in Colorado before the crowds arrive
- ▶ Mesa Verde Cliff Palace: largest cliff dwelling in North America; ranger-led tour booked via visitmesaverde.com
- ▶ Million Dollar Highway return — US-550 through Ouray and Silverton is one of the most dramatic trailer-navigable roads in the West
Stop-by-Stop
Day 1: depart Austin 7 AM — 365 miles via US-87 N / I-27 N to Canyon TX; arrive ~12:30 PM. Transit night. Afternoon canyon floor walk or the Capitol Peak Trail for rim views.
Day 2: depart 7 AM — 380 miles via I-25 N → US-34 W to Estes Park; arrive ~1 PM. ⚠️ Book timed-entry vehicle permit (May–Oct) on Recreation.gov same day as campsite. Three nights at Moraine Park CG (8,160 ft). Day 3: Bear Lake Loop + Nymph/Dream/Emerald Lakes chain. Day 4: Trail Ridge Road full drive (48 mi to Grand Lake, tundra at 12,183 ft). September: elk bugling fills the meadow at dusk.
Day 5: depart 8 AM — 230 miles via US-40 W → CO-82 W to Aspen; arrive ~11:30 AM. Two nights at Silver Bell CG below the Maroon Bells. ⚠️ Silver Queen CG has a 30-ft RV limit — use Silver Bell, which is more permissive; confirm with USFS 970-945-2521. Peak season: access pass required for registered campers. Day 6: Crater Lake hike (3.6 mi RT to the lake below the Bells) at sunrise before day-use crowds.
Day 7: depart 8 AM — 200 miles via CO-82 E → US-50 W → US-550 S → US-160 W to Mesa Verde; arrive ~11 AM. ⚠️ Book via visitmesaverde.com (Aramark) — NOT Recreation.gov. Two nights at Morefield CG. Ranger cliff dwelling tours sell out — book a Cliff Palace tour the moment you book the campsite. Day 8: Cliff Palace tour + Balcony House tour.
Montrose, CO • NPS • $20/nt (no electric) · $34/nt (electric)
Day 9: depart 8 AM — 130 miles via US-160 E → US-550 N → US-50 E → CO-347 N to South Rim; arrive ~10 AM. ⚠️ 2026: Loops B & C closed (wildfire) — only Loop A operational; verify at nps.gov/blca. Two nights at 8,300 ft. Day 10: Gunnison Route descent to the river (requires free permit + rappel gear) or rim walk from Tomichi Point to Dragon Point (2.5 mi).
Day 11: depart 8 AM — 120 miles via US-50 W → I-70 W → Grand Junction → CO-340 to Colorado NM; arrive ~10 AM. Two nights at Saddlehorn CG. Day 11 afternoon: Rim Rock Drive (23 mi, sunset from Cold Shivers Point). Day 12: Monument Canyon Trail to Independence Monument (10 mi RT) — the best hike in the park. Grand Junction 20 min east for full resupply.
Day 13: depart Colorado NM 8 AM — 285 miles via CO-340 E → US-50 E to Montrose → US-550 S (Million Dollar Highway through Ouray and Silverton — manageable for a 21-ft trailer; take the switchbacks at 10–15 mph, or bypass via CO-145 through Telluride adding ~20 miles) → Durango → US-550 S → Farmington NM → US-64 E to Taos; arrive Rio Grande del Norte ~12:30 PM. One transit night above the 800-ft Rio Grande gorge. Taos Plaza is 5 miles south — easy dinner stop.
Day 14: depart 7 AM — 340 miles via US-64 E → Cimarron → US-56 E → Clayton NM → US-87 N → Dalhart TX → US-87 S to Canyon TX; arrive Palo Duro ~12 PM. Final transit night back in Texas. Day 15: drive home to Austin (365 miles via I-27 S → US-87 S).