The 22 Best Road Trips From Denver
Denver is the best starting point in the country for a serious mountain road trip. Within a day's drive you've got Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, two Utah national parks, and the entire Rocky Mountain corridor in between.
I've driven up and down the Rockies from Denver, and this guide is everything I've learned about which routes to take, when to leave, and where to stop.
One thing to know before you start: the Rockies aren't forgiving if you don't plan ahead. The I-70 weekend traffic can add hours to your drive, mountain passes close without warning in winter, and the best scenic detours aren't the ones Google Maps suggests. The details matter here more than most road trips.
Read This Before Driving Out of Denver
⚡ The EV Charging Desert
Electric car chargers in the Rockies and nearby areas are rarer than cell service in Wyoming.
I once made the mistake of renting a Tesla for a trip all the way down and back up the Rockies from Denver. Don't do it.
The moment you head south off the I-70 towards Gunnison National Park, Center, and on to New Mexico, finding a charger is a struggle.
❄️ The Traction Law
Between September and May, Colorado state law requires AWD/4WD or snow tires on mountain passes and high elevation roads.
Check your rental car tires before leaving the parking lot.
🚗 The I-70 Weekend Trap
If you are heading west into the mountains, avoid leaving Denver on a Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.
In the winter, you're hitting weekend ski traffic and the summer can be even worse with weekend getaways. Leave early or waste hours driving like a snail.
Top Road Trip Destinations From Denver
🚗 510 miles ⏱️ 8 hours, 30 minutes
If you are doing a round trip, do not take the same highway twice. Drive up via the slower, highly scenic western route through Jackson and Grand Teton National Park. On the way back to Denver, take the eastern route down through the Wind River Canyon and the hot springs of Thermopolis so you get two completely different Wyoming road trips in one.
💡 Timing Your Arrival: Yellowstone isn't a year-round destination. Nearly all interior roads close to regular cars by early November for snowmobile season and don't reopen until May. The upside of the long drive is that if you set off in the morning, you won't hit the daytime queues at the entrance, waiting to get in.
🚗 343 miles ⏱️ 5 hours, 30 minutes
Driving I-70 West to Moab is one of the most popular routes out of Denver, but the 5.5-hour drive easily turns into 8 hours if you leave on a Friday afternoon. The turn-off onto Highway 128 (exit 214) is a must - it traces the Colorado River through a sheer red-rock canyon which is infinitely better than the (slightly faster) US-191 route.
💡 Arrive Early for Arches: Arches dropped its reservation system for 2026, so the park fills on a first-come basis. Gates can close as early as 9am on busy days, and popular trailhead parking goes before that. Get there early or you'll be waiting in Moab for hours until spaces free up.
🚗 365 miles ⏱️ 6 hours
The fastest 365-mile route takes you straight north up I-25 into Wyoming before cutting east on US-85 and US-18 into South Dakota. It is a straightforward 6-hour drive, but once you leave the interstate, the route becomes incredibly rural. Make sure to fill your gas tank and grab food in Cheyenne or Lusk, because amenities practically disappear for the last couple of hours before the park.
💡 Mind the Heat: The Badlands have almost zero shade, and the chalky rock reflects the sun, meaning summer temperatures easily top 100°F by noon. Do not plan to hike the popular Notch Trail in the middle of the afternoon. Get into the park at dawn, and be back in your air-conditioned car by 11:00 AM.
🚗 682 miles ⏱️ 11 hours
You have a choice to take the faster route along the I-70 and US-191 through Moab or the slightly slower route along US-285 and US-160 through Pagosa Springs and Durango. Both options naturally funnel you onto Highway 64 from Cameron, Arizona, which lets you enter the Grand Canyon via the Desert View (East) Entrance, bypassing the massive vehicle queues at the main South Entrance.
💡 A Worthy Detour: If you are splitting this into a 2-day drive, detour 30 minutes north of Cameron to Page, AZ. It's the only way to see Horseshoe Bend and the Vermillion Cliffs. It adds about 2 hours to your total trip, but it's the best place to see the Colorado River before it disappears into the floor of the canyon.
🚗 66 miles ⏱️ 1 hour, 25 minutes
The 90-minute drive from Denver is just the warmup. The real road trip starts the second you bypass the taffy shops in Estes Park and enter Rocky Mountain National Park to drive Trail Ridge Road. Climbing to over 12,000 feet, it is the highest continuous paved highway in North America, taking you high above the tree line where you are practically eye-level with the alpine peaks.
💡 Beating the Permit System: RMNP operates on a strict timed-entry permit system from late May through October. If you show up without a reservation, the rangers will turn you away at the gate. Book it months in advance, or, if you forgot, you'll have to do what the locals do: get up at the crack of dawn and drive through the gates before 5:00 AM, when the permit system kicks in for the day.
🚗 239 miles ⏱️ 3 hours, 50 minutes
A four-hour drive south from Denver drops you into one of the weirdest and most spectacular landscapes in Colorado. You can sled down the tallest sand dunes in North America while staring up at the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains. If you have kids, this is an absolute must.
💡 Board Rentals: I rented boards and wax from the Great Dunes Oasis Store just outside the park entrance - it took 5 minutes and I was on my way to the dunes. Don't expect to spend all day here - the sand gets to 150°F by the afternoon and your legs will be gone after the third trek back up the sand dune.
🚗 70 miles ⏱️ 1 hour, 25 minutes
Garden of the Gods is free - one of the only major natural attractions in Colorado with no entrance fee. Pikes Peak is one of the few 14,000-foot mountains you can drive to the top of. The drive from Denver is just over an hour, and you can be hiking between the red rock formations by mid-morning.
💡 Secret 4x4 Route: Garden of the Gods gets crowded in the summer. To get the absolute best views, drive up to Woodland Park and take the small Loy Creek Road back down. Beware - the road gets very rough the lower you go so you'll want a high clearance SUV or 4x4.
🚗 485 miles ⏱️ 8 hours, 30 minutes
The most direct route to Jackson bypasses the interstates entirely, sending you straight up US-287 through the middle of Wyoming. It's an 8.5-hour haul, but it drops you right at the base of the Tetons and serves as the perfect southern gateway if you plan to continue north and tackle Yellowstone National Park on the same trip.
💡 Driving Strategy: The final 150-mile stretch of US-287 between Rawlins and Jackson has virtually no cell service and zero gas stations after dark. You want to try and arrive before the sun sets to avoid moose and elk that come out on the roads at night and because you absolutely do not want to miss the jaw-dropping view as you drive in. Aim to set off from Denver by 8:00 AM in the winter, but you can leave it as late as 11:00 AM in the summer.
🚗 740 miles ⏱️ 11 hours
The 11-hour drive from Denver takes you through the Rockies, across the high desert, and into Sedona's red rock country. The hiking is the main draw — trails like Cathedral Rock and Devil's Bridge wind through sandstone formations that look nothing like anything in Colorado.
💡 The Trailhead Parking Trap: Popular trailheads like Cathedral Rock and Soldier Pass close their parking lots Thursday through Sunday, and the others fill up early. Don't try to drive to the trailhead - use the free Sedona Shuttle park-and-ride lots, which drop you right at the start of the major trails.
🚗 360 miles ⏱️ 6 hours, 30 minutes
The direct way to New Mexico is to sit for 6 hours on I-25, so if you're in a hurry, take the interstate.
The real road trip to New Mexico's high desert means taking I-70 or US-285 west and then driving south through the Rockies and San Luis Valley using my driving guide to Taos. From there, it's a short drive straight into the historic adobe architecture of Santa Fe. If you have more time, you can drive another hour south and extend your road trip to Albuquerque.
💡 Parking Hack: When you arrive in Santa Fe, don't waste your time circling the narrow 1600s streets around the historic Plaza looking for parallel parking. The two best options where I parked are the Sandoval Garage and the Water Street Municipal Lot. Both are very easy to find, easy with a large vehicle, and get you within a two-minute walk from the center of the action.
🚗 370 miles ⏱️ 6 hours, 30 minutes
Skip the standard I-70 resort traffic and drive deep into the San Juan Mountains via US-285 and US-50. The real win is when you turn onto Highway 62 and cross the Dallas Divide. You get one of the most jagged, dramatic windshield views in Colorado before finally dropping down into Telluride's famous box canyon.
💡 Free Gondola Parking: Telluride sits at the dead-end of a valley where public parking is virtually non-existent. Do not waste your time creeping around the tiny grid looking for a spot. Pull straight into the free intercept lot up in Mountain Village and take the free 13-minute gondola directly down onto Main Street.
🚗 740 miles ⏱️ 11 hours
Zion is a deep and narrow canyon where you hike up to the rim or through the river at the bottom with 2,000-foot walls closing in on both sides. The drive from Denver takes 9.5 hours, but the return route goes through Bryce Canyon and Highway 12 - one of the most scenic drives in America - so even the drive home is worth it.
💡 No cars in the Canyon: From March through November, you can't drive into Zion's main canyon. A free shuttle runs from Springdale into the park. Stay in Springdale and you can walk to the shuttle stop — no parking hassle at all.
🚗 185 miles ⏱️ 4 hours
Aspen has four ski areas on one lift ticket in winter and some of the best hiking in Colorado in summer including the Maroon Bells. The town itself is walkable, the food is excellent, and it's only a 3.5 hour drive from Denver.
💡 Winter Route Closure: Independence Pass (Highway 82 southeast of Aspen) is completely closed in the winter between November and May. So if you're going to Aspen to ski, you'll have to take the long way around along I-70 through Glenwood Springs before coming back down along the open section of Highway 82.
🚗 502 miles ⏱️ 8 hours, 30 minutes
The I-70 route and US-191 route through Moab is only 30 minutes longer than going through the San Luis Valley and Durango along US-285 and US-160. Both options offer spectacular, but wildly different views, and you can easily combine one of the other destinations on this list if you have enough time.
💡 SUV Required: The famous 17-mile scenic loop drive through Monument Valley is unpaved, incredibly dusty, and riddled with deep ruts. Do not take a standard low-clearance rental sedan on this road unless you want to rip off the bumper and void your rental agreement. Rent an SUV, or just park at the visitor center and pay for a guided Navajo jeep tour.
🚗 375 miles ⏱️ 6 hours, 50 minutes
Driving south to Durango via US-285 takes you right through the San Luis Valley and over the infamous Wolf Creek Pass. It's a heavy-duty mountain route that drops you straight into a historic mining town that still feels authentically Old West.
💡 Wolf Creek Warning: Wolf Creek Pass (US-160) is notoriously steep and prone to sudden whiteouts. If you are driving between November and April, strictly adhere to Colorado's Traction Law - AWD or snow tires are mandatory, and state troopers actively check.
🚗 750 miles ⏱️ 11 hours
If you just want to get to Vegas fast, you should fly. But the 750-mile drive from Denver crosses the Rockies, cuts through the Utah desert, and passes within an hour of Arches, Canyonlands, and Zion. You could do it in a day, or turn it into a 6-day road trip with national park stops along the way.
💡 Winter Warning: Do not try to push this massive 11-hour drive in one day if there is even a hint of winter weather in Colorado. The Eisenhower Tunnel and Vail Pass turn into gridlocked parking lots. Split the drive and spend the night in Cedar City or St. George, Utah.
🚗 98 miles ⏱️ 1 hour, 35 minutes
The 100-mile drive from Denver to Vail is a relatively short 90-minute drive west on I-70, but it's not as simple as it looks on a map. You have to navigate the Eisenhower Tunnel and climb the Vail Pass to 10,600 feet - I actually felt pretty light-headed driving it, and needed a stop after crossing over.
💡 Timing the I-70 Trap: Heading out on a Friday afternoon after 2:00 PM or Saturday morning after 6:00 AM will mean endless queues that will easily double your journey time. Coming back to Denver on a Sunday after 2:00 PM runs into the exact same issue, which gets even worse in the winter with ski traffic. Either leave before noon, or grab dinner in the village and wait until 7:00 PM to drive back when the interstate finally clears out.
🚗 415 miles ⏱️ 8 hours, 10 minutes
Tucked away in the far southwest corner of Colorado, Mesa Verde is completely different from the state's jagged alpine peaks. The 7-hour drive takes you deep into high-desert mesa country, where you can climb down wooden ladders into 800-year-old cliff dwellings carved right into the canyon walls.
💡 Tour Ticket Warning: You cannot just walk up to the best cliff dwellings (like Cliff Palace) on the day. You have to book a ranger-guided tour, and tickets become available exactly 14 days in advance at 8:00 AM. Set an alarm if you're coming at the weekend, because they will sell out in minutes.
🚗 80 miles ⏱️ 1 hour, 30 minutes
The drive to Breckenridge is a straight shot west on I-70 and south on Highway 9. It's barely 80 miles, but calling it a 90-minute drive is only true on a random Tuesday in October. During ski season or hot summer weekends, this corridor becomes the most notorious highway bottleneck in Colorado, requiring some thoughtful planning to avoid ruining your day.
💡 Timing Strategy: If you set off from Denver on a Saturday in winter, you need to be on the road by 6:00 AM unless you want to spend three hours idling near the Eisenhower Tunnel. Friday night is not a great option either - you either need to leave by lunchtime or wait until after 8:00 PM to avoid sniffing fumes for 3 hours on what should be a 90-minute drive.
🚗 564 miles ⏱️ 8 hours, 30 minutes
The direct route along the I-25 South through Albuquerque is an easy 8.5-hour cruise which you can easily do in a day. The more scenic route along US-285 through the Rockies and San Luis Valley is a much better drive, but adds about 2 hours. I would pick the scenic route every time for the views of snowy mountain peaks and the Great Sand Dunes along the way.
💡 Free sleds: Don't go out buying a new plastic sledding saucer at the gift shop for $25. Most local hotels and the nearby Alamogordo KOA have a "take a sled, leave a sled" bin where you can grab one for free. Just make sure you still buy a block of wax - the gypsum sand is incredibly abrasive and you won't move an inch without applying it first.
🚗 520 miles ⏱️ 8 hours
The I-70 corridor through the Rockies is one of the most scenic interstate drives in the country, cutting through Glenwood Canyon and climbing over Vail Pass before dropping into Utah's wide open desert. Salt Lake City sits at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains with Park City and some of the best skiing in the US just 30 minutes up the road.
💡 Pit Stop: If you don't want to drive the whole 8 hours in one day, Glenwood Springs is a perfect place to stop. It's almost exactly halfway, you've got good restaurants and local wineries to spend the afternoon at. Just don't overdo it on the wine tasting. Utah's DUI limit is the lowest in the country at 0.05% BAC.
🚗 156 miles ⏱️ 3 hours
The route up to Steamboat Springs is one of the most picturesque on this list. The real driving test is the final 20 miles over Rabbit Ears Pass. It climbs past 10,000 feet and is notorious for instant whiteouts and severe ice from October through May.
💡 Driving To Hot Springs: You'll want to visit Strawberry Park Hot Springs while you're in Steamboat - make sure your vehicle is up to the job. The last two miles up to the springs are a steep, unpaved dirt road. In the winter, 4WD or AWD with snow tires are strictly mandated by law. Do not attempt it in a front-wheel drive rental car - you will get stuck and fined. Book a local shuttle from downtown instead.
Cross-Country & Long-Haul Routes
If you want something bigger, check out my guide to cross-country road trips from Denver, including routes to Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle.
Sasha Yanshin – Founder & Lead Driver
Sasha Yanshin has spent the last 15+ years mapping and driving thousands of miles across Europe and the US. As the Founder and Lead Driver of Lazytrips, he brings an analytical approach to road-tripping, sharing meticulously tested routes, realistic drive times, and the hard-earned logistical reality of the open road.
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