Colorado Rockies Loop — 3-3-3 Pace (24 Days)
3 nights per stop · max 380 miles per drive day · Jun–Oct · returns via Rio Grande del Norte
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
- ▶ 3 nights at Maroon Bells — late September aspen peak turns the entire Elk Mountain drainage gold; impossible to rush
- ▶ 3 nights at Mesa Verde — Long House (Wetherill Mesa) on day 3 sees a fraction of Cliff Palace crowds
- ▶ 3 nights at Rio Grande del Norte above Taos — Taos Pueblo, Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, and the gorge rim on the return leg
- ▶ East Portal Road descent to the Gunnison River floor (tow vehicle only) — the full Black Canyon experience
Stop-by-Stop
Days 1–3: depart Austin Day 1 at 7 AM. Three nights at Palo Duro Canyon — Texas's own Grand Canyon deserves more than a transit stop. Day 2: Lighthouse Trail. Day 3: Equestrian loop or the full-day Capitol Peak Trail with canyon overlooks.
Days 4–6: 380 miles to Moraine Park CG (timed-entry permit required). Day 5: Bear Lake + Nymph/Dream/Emerald Lakes. Day 6: Trail Ridge Road to Grand Lake and back. Evening elk watch in Moraine Park meadow.
Days 7–9: 230 miles to Silver Bell CG. Day 8: Crater Lake at sunrise, Maroon Lake reflection in the morning calm. Day 9: West Maroon Pass trail (moderate, 6.8 mi RT) or Snowmass Lake (12 mi RT, strenuous). Late September: full basin turns gold and orange with aspen.
Days 10–12: 200 miles to Morefield CG. Book via visitmesaverde.com. Day 11: Cliff Palace + Balcony House ranger tours. Day 12: Long House (Wetherill Mesa, less crowded) and Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum.
Montrose, CO • NPS • $20/nt (no electric) · $34/nt (electric)
Days 13–15: 130 miles north to South Rim CG (check nps.gov/blca for Loop B/C status). Day 14: Rim walk from Tomichi Point to Dragon Point at sunrise. Day 15: East Portal Road descent (trailers NOT permitted on East Portal Road — park the rig, drive the tow vehicle only) to the Gunnison River.
Days 16–18: 120 miles west to Saddlehorn CG. Day 17: Rim Rock Drive at sunrise. Day 18: Monument Canyon Trail to Independence Monument. Grand Junction restaurants and full resupply on any day. Day 18 evening: last Colorado sunset from Cold Shivers Point overlook.
Days 19–21: depart Colorado NM 8 AM — 285 miles via CO-340 E → US-50 E to Montrose → US-550 S (Million Dollar Highway — manageable for a 21-ft trailer; take switchbacks at 10–15 mph, or bypass via CO-145 through Telluride) → Durango → US-550 S → Farmington NM → US-64 E to Taos; arrive ~12:30 PM. Three nights above the Rio Grande gorge. Day 20: Taos Pueblo (UNESCO) and Taos Plaza. Day 21: Rio Grande Gorge Bridge at sunset — 650 ft above the river.
Day 22: 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 23: canyon floor walk — a full-circle return to where the trip began. Day 24: drive home to Austin (365 miles via I-27 S → US-87 S).