Our March 2020 planned trip across the US had to be delayed due to COVID-19 so now we decided to take a shorter trip to the National Parks of Colorado. Unfortunately, the demand for campsites is high so it’s really difficult to get reservations. After many 7:00 am phone calls on recreation.gov we couldn’t get a reservation for any of the campgrounds in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), so we booked four days at Manor RV park in Estes Park, just outside of RMNP. Due to the high demand, entry to the national park is with timed entry passes for each day.
Now we just need to get to RMNP for our reservation. We hooked up our new 2022 Ford F150 Platinum for the first major trip with the truck. It’s sad to see the Suburban go but with more power and better gas mileage, we are ready for the change.
For reference, here is a map showing the driving route for this trip.
We drove out of town through Truckee and into Nevada, headed for Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada.
We wanted to do some boondocking overnight but nothing was nearby on our route. The first night was spent at Bob Scott Campground. Unfortunately, this is a small campground and the only spot available was the group site.
We got up early in the morning to drive across central Nevada. Next stop, Eureka. Eureka is on the Lincoln Highway. It’s now a small town with many remnants of the past but not many residents. The downtown area has some of the front walls still up but behind then is just weeds. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Highway
This section of the Lincoln Highway was paid for by General Motors. Apparently, being able to drive across the US would help car sales.
As the Eureka sign said, this is the loneliest road in America.
Great Basin National Park
As we drove East we came to a large open basin. The shape of the surrounding mountains created the largest watershed area in North America with no outlets. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Basin
It became a Nevada national park in 1986. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Basin_National_Park
We arrived in the middle of the day and setup camp in the Lower Lehman Campgrounds, which consisted of 11 camp sites.
The night was dark and the skys were bright. I tried taking some pictures of the Milky Way with my Pentax DSLR but they weren’t the best. I’m still working on the technique.
The next day we drove aound the park and did some exploring. Even though the basin is arid, there are creeks, lakes and pockets of trees.
Nancy wanted to hike to Wheelers Peak (8.4 miles with 3,100 feet elevation gain) but I convinced her it probably wasn’t a good idea.
The highlight of the park is Lehman Caves. https://www.desertusa.com/grb/lehman.html
We took the Grand Palace tour (about 90 minutes). In addition to all of the beautiful mineral formations, there is one room where people used to come and spend time. Since the ceiling was low and flat, they used their oil headlamps to write on the ceiling with the smoke.
Continuing east from Great Basin, we started seeing the geography of southern Utah.
It’s a reasonable distance to Rocky Mountain National Park and we had reservations so we wanted to boondock for the night. After driving through a small fishing camp area by a creek we realized our rig was too big so we just camped in an open area. The price was right by we did have truck passing all night long.
We drove into Colorado from the east side, heading across toward Denver and then up to Rocky Mountain National Park. The national parks are all in the western part of the state so didn’t drive east of Denver.
Rocky Mountain National Park
All of the Rocky Mountain National Park campgrounds were booked for a trailer our size, so we stayed at Manor RV Park. https://estes-park.com/listings/manor-rv-park/
The online pictures look better than reality. It was crowded but it worked well. We were only 5 minutes from the park entrance and we could go into Estes Park for supplies.
The map below shows the driving route we took exploring Rocky Mountain National Park. Since we weren’t pulling the trailer we had no problems with the winding roads and elevations exceeding 12,000 feet.
For the next four days we explored Rocky Mountain National Park. Since the entrance times were controlled we had to buy entrance passes in advance. https://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm
For a state park map, https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/upload/ROMOmap1_small.pdf
The park has elevations from 7,860 feet to 14,259 feet. Fortunately we had spent the first few days of the trip at elevations around 7,000 feet so we were aclimated. At no time during the trip did we experience difficulty breathing due to altitude. Hiking might have been a little slower, but that could be attributed to age.
On the first afternoon in the park, we did a loop around Beaver Meadow and Aspenglen.
The most popular area in Rocky Mountain National Park is Bear Lake (apparently also called Bierstadt Lake on the Garmin map). For this reason, the road to Bear Lake requires a special timed entry pass. Parking at the trailhead is limited so if you plan to hike, you need to go first thing in the morning. The best entry time we could get was in the early afternoon so this limited our chances to hike the lake. Darn! I was looking forward to hiking up and down hills at 9500 feet elevation.
On the way back from Bear Lake we stopped at a couple of other lakes. This section of the park is filled with hiking trails and small lakes. Nymph Lake is shallow and full of water lilies. It’s definitely a calm place to experience nature and the outdoors.
Sprague Lake even offers a shuttle stop but since we were driving, we didn’t run into as many hikers. There were still lots of wild flowers and we met a man taking pictures with an old box camera and film plates.
One day we decided to drive to the western side of the park. This means about 1.5 hours driving eash way, not counting for stops, lunch, etc. The distance from Manor RV Park to our last planned stop for the day was only 48 miles but due to the 35mph limit would take us close to 2 hours (one way).
On the way up Trail Ridge Road we passed the Beaver Ponds and started climbing the switchbacks.
Along the way we stopped to see the forest canyon. https://inspiredimperfection.com/adventures/forest-canyon-overlook/
Note, the tree line is between 11,000 and 12,000 feet in the park. Ahead of us the road reaches 12,183 feet, the highest road in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Unfortunately, on the way we were stopped by the Park Rangers. Up ahead, someone had driven over the edge of the road and gone several hundred feet down the side of the hill. No one was injured but we were delayed for a couple of hours.
If you look near the top of this picture you can see the string of traffic. It backed up for several miles before we were allowed to go.
Since we knew there would be massive crowds at the nearby sights, we decided to go to Shadow Mountain Lake, have lunch, and then catch what we had missed while heading back to camp.
Pine Beach had a picnic are on the lake. While eating lunch and watching a couple of women in kayaks, they started pointing behind us. A young moose was grazing on some bushes in the shade about 50 feet from our picnic table. We left him alone, and he didn’t bother us.
North of Shadow Mountain Lake is Grand Lake. https://www.grandlakelodge.com/
The lodge offers cabins and rooms, meals, and great views of the lake.
In 1927, John and Sophia Holzwarth homesteaded 160 acres on the edge of the newly established Rocky Mountain National Park. Over the years it was set up as a dude ranch for people from Denver in the summer. https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/holzwarth-historic-site.htm
The Alpine Visitor Center is near the point of the highest road in the park (and close to where we spent two hours waiting for an accident to clear).
Huffers Hill is a hike from the visitor center. https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/romo_alpineridgetrail.htm
The trail consists of approximately 225 step and several sections of dirt path. The round trip to the top is only 0.6 miles but the elevation gain is 162 feet. Nancy stayed at the visitor center while I did the hike.
To complete our day we had nachos and beers at the Estes Park Brewery. They also had an idea for a cabin bench made from old skiis. Maybe some day we’ll have enough old skiis to make one of these.
Colorado is known for fast moving weather. Back at camp the clowds can in quickly. An hour later they were gone and we didn’t even get any rain.
Our last day in the park we took a few hikes in the afternoon and Nancy got her Junior Range badge.
The Junior Ranger Headquarters was closed so we had to go back to the Visitor Center to be swarn in. The elk wasn’t laughing but it did seem appropriate.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
After spending four days in Rocky Mountain National Park with the crowds, it was nice to slow down to the pace at Great Sand Dunes National Park. There is basically one road in and one tourist spot, the sand dunes.
We arrived before the weekend so things were quiet. It was warm and the sunset was spectacular.
The next morning we woke up to an empty campground. It was Friday so we enjoyed the solitude while we could.
The next day, things got crowded. Even with this, there was only one row of camping sites so it wasn’t too bad.
The ground around camp was dry, but it wasn’t until I went for a walk, I discovered some painful surprises. These seeds were removed from my shoes.
The great Sand Dunes National Park is located south of Denver, near the Arizona border. Basically there is just one road into the park. https://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm
For a park map check here https://www.nps.gov/grsa/planyourvisit/maps.htm
There wasn’t a lot to see so we could relax and take it slow.
The dunes were formed by desert wind blowing to the East and hitting the mountains. The elevation is a low of 7,520 feet (near San Luis Lakes) to a high of 13,604 feet above sea level (Tijeras Peak).
The dunes are open for hiking anywhere but motorized vehicles are not allowed. Tourists park in the parking lot and cross a wide creek to get to the dunes. The water is always running but it can be very dangerous during a rain storm. People will carry snow boards and other items up the dunes do they can surf or slide down.
Near the dunes is Cottonwood Creek. In a high desert area you have cottonwood trees and lots of flowers. Unfortunately, there is evidence of fire that has come through here is the past.
We continued on the road north ubtil we hit the four-wheel drive road. I was tempted to continue with the truck but since we were alone I didn’t want to deal with possibility of getting stuck.
When the weekend was over we were back to solitude at camp and ready for our next adventure.
Mesa Verde National Park
Southwest Colorado is high desert so we looked forward to warm, dry days. We arrived at the campground in the afternoon and had drinks while watching the sunset.
The morning was bright and sunny with a doe and two fawns in camp.
Mesa Verde National Park is over 50,000 acres and contains more than 5,000 site including 600 cliff dwellings. The portion on the park open to the public is relatively small but includes some of the largest cliff dwellings in North America.
Outside of the visitor center is a statue which depicts the life of the cliff dwellers. They were expert climbers who accessed the cliff dwellings by climbing up and down the walls in many cases.
So much for a quiet day in the park. When we arrived at the visitor center there were already several busses. The major cliff dwellings offer tours, and some can only be seen by tour.
After driving up the hill to the messa tops, the road splits to the Wetherill Mesa and the Chapin Mesa. The most popular sights are on the Chapin Mesa so we decided to drive the Wetherill Mesa on the first day and let the bus traffic have Chapin.
Step House is a self-guided tour at the end of a one-mile trail. The site is well preserved but the national park service is continuing to do work to stop erosion. Ironically, the native people who lived here never ntended the dwellings to endure time. They felt it was made from natural materials and should go back to nature over time.
https://www.nps.gov/meve/learn/historyculture/step_house.htm
In addition to seeing man-made attractions, we also saw many plants and flowers, even though it was August and the end of summer.
After driving Weherill Mesa road we decided to leave the park and visit Four Corners, where Colorado, Utah, Arazona and New Mexico meet. On the drive we continued to see evidence of the geology that created Mesa Verde.
Four Corners is located on a poor indian reservation.
https://www.utah.com/destinations/national-monuments/four-corners/
Driving in, you travel on a dirt road until you reach the developed site. After paying the entrance fee, you park in a dirt lot and walk into the developed facility. The interior is open, but around the edges are booths where Navajo people are selling trinkets and souvenirs. It’s unfortunate what we did to the indians.
If you stand in the center of the four corners market, you are standing in four states at the same time.
Back at camp we had dinner and sat around the camfire on a moonlit night.
The Chapin Mesa offers many chances to see how the native people used this land between 750-1200 AD.
Water was critical to existance at Mesa Verde. The indians built reservoirs to catch water for irrigation and daily use. They also knew where ground water came out of the rock walls, so even if it was dry on the mesa surface, they could have water without having to travel long distance to creeks.
In 1996 and 2002 there were lightning fires on Chapin Mesa. Unfortunately, Mesa Verde has been affected by fire many times in the past.
https://www.nps.gov/meve/learn/management/upload/meve_fire_history_508_01-25-18.pdf
As you can see, over the past 90 years, most of the park has been burned. It seems like there were fires every 15-20 years, but then there were five fires between 1996 and 2003.
In addition to the large reservoir, Mesa Verde has signs of soil and water conservation. Even today this is working as evidenced by the green grasses growing in the terraced areas, with dry ground outside.
It was always nice to see lizards in the park. This guy was probably a foot long, nose to tail.
Spruce Tree House had a small museum near the parking area but it was closed for renovation. While Nancy stayed up top, I hiked down the path for a closer view. Unfortunately, half way down the trail was closed so viewing was limited. Along the trail, there was more evidence of soil and water management.
https://www.nps.gov/meve/learn/historyculture/cd_spruce_tree_house.htm
Cliff Palace is one of the the most popular sites, but it is only accessable by tour. I chose to walk down the trail for a better view but we didn’t try to get into a tour.
As you can see, the site would be dangerous if they just let people walk through. On a tour , you hike down a trail on the left side, go through the cliff structures, and then climb up stairs and ladders to get out on the right side.
https://www.visitmesaverde.com/discover/cliff-dwellings/cliff-palace/
Almost everywhere you look there’s evidence of cliff dwellings. The House of Many Windows was created between two rock ledges. A wall was built to close the rooms and then windows were created for light.
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Hemenway House was occupied in the 1200s.
https://www.americansouthwest.net/colorado/mesa_verde/hemenway-house_l.html
Some of the dwellings aren’t visible from the road. We never saw Balcony House but did get this picture of the information board from a turnout.
On the way back to camp we pulled off the road and stopped in a picnic area. Across the canyon you can see a doorway in the side of the rocks. We had lunch, shade and the opportunity to explore with some binoculars.
I think this bird was looking for food. He showed up as soon as we opened the cooler. It’s not obvious. but this bird is actually rather large.
Back at camp there’s deer, a campfire and talking under the moonlight.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Our last Colorado National Park was Black Canyon of the Gunnison. There wasn’t any camping in the park so we stayed at the Elk Creek Campground in the Curecanti National Regional Area. It was windy and open but I’m sure it was busy earlier in the summer. The Gunnison River forms lots of recreation and fishing areas.
Our campground was southeast of the East Portal, about 20 miles away. We spent most of a day driving the park road, doing short hikes and viewing the sights.
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison was formed by the Gunnison River. The views are spectacular. In most cases there’s a short trail from the parking lot to the canyon, and then it’s straight down to the river. Needless to say, this is a popular mountain climbing area.
After seeing all of the different colors it was interesting to see an exhibit in the visitor center showing the geology of the area. You could look through a microscope to see different types of rock and how they are formed. I took these pictures holding my cell phone camera up to the microscope eyepiece.
Compared with other parts of Colorado, this was a lower elevation. At Chasm View it was only 7700 feet.
Nancy at Painted Wall View
Just about back to the campground.
On the recommendation of a park ranger, we drove south on Hwy 50 to Lake City and the San Juan Soda Company. This was an old fashion soda shop where they made milk shakes in metal malt cups. They gave you a glass for drinking and the whole malt cup full of milkshake. It was fantastic. Nancy had a rootbeer float.
On the walk out front of the San Juan Soda Company there were lots of flowers in large wooden barrels. All around these were hummingbird moths. You could be two feet away and they weren’t bothered at all. They just kept getting pollen from the flowers.
After finishing our ice cream we went across the street and relaxed in the park. This is a clever use of old jeans but it would be difficult to water the plants.
Leaving the Gunnison campground we drove down Hwy 550 to Durango. From Ouray to Silverton is a 25 mile section of highway called the Million Dollar Highway. It is reported to coast a million dollars a mile to construct. The highest point is 11,018 feet at the peak of Red Mountain Pass, in the San Juan Mountain Range.
How scary is the Million Dollar Highway to some drivers?
Enough that, on several occasions, there are drivers “frozen” in the middle of the road, unable to drive another foot. Driving south you’ll be on the “outside” with no guardrails. Coming out of Silverton north there are several switchbacks. The 12 miles south of Ouray—particularly for Durango-bound drivers, who are exposed to the unprotected cliffsides—are steep, twisting and completely unforgiving of driver error. It’s a harrowing and downright dangerous drive marked with narrow lanes (often shared by RVs), steep cliffs, sheer drop offs and zero guardrails. The road is fine as long as you don’t drive too fast for conditions. But if you do, the consequences are severe.
We were driving the trailer south with the unprotected cliffside to the right. Nancy was so scared she started hyperventelating. All I could do was try and help her calm down, and keep driving. This is a two lane, winding road with a wall on the left and a cliff on the right. Needless to say we didn’t get any pictures of the drive.
As the day progressed we were definitely heading back to the barn. Late in the day we stopped at Mancos State Park, between Durango and Cortez. We took time for a short hike beside Jackson Gulch Reservoir.
https://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/Mancos/Pages/default.aspx
Heading home
We had been here several years ago, but we decided it was a good idea to stop back in Winslow, Arizona to buy another tee-shirt at Standin’ On The Corner. It was mid-week so much of the city was closed. Fortunately, Standing On The Corner was open.
30 minutes out of Winslow we hit rain which quickly turned into a wild hail storm. We slowed down so the truck wouldn’t be damaged or the trailer blow over. Fortunately, the truck was fine, but the trailer awning and some of the trailer trim decals weren’t. The awning was getting old but this forced the issue of replacing it before the next trip.
In general, the truck is quiet while driving. If you play this video you hear what it sounded like at the peak. It was scarey and there wasn’t anyplace to easily pull off the road.
By 6:30 pm we were at our last campground in Kingman, Arizona.
One more long day of driving and we were back home. As a reminder, here is the full driving map for the Colorado trip.
According to the F150 trip information:
Total Miles: 4145
Electric Miles: 224
Total Driving Time: 106 hours, 4 minutes
MPG for the trip: 10.2
For comparison with the Suburban, we typically had 7.5 mpg while towing the trailer and 12 mpg without the trailer.