12 replies to this topic

[TamiDolphin]

How long is the drive from Estes park to Grand Lake not taking trail ridge road?

Thanks I can not get mapquest to route me otherwise.

Nothing against TRR we are taking two trips through there; one with a rafting company the other on Rocky mountain adventures jeep tours but my husband does not want to drive it and I do want to visit Grand Lake for a day.

[HighPlainsMedic]

TamiDolphin, on 16 July 2011 - 01:53 PM, said:

How long is the drive from Estes park to Grand Lake not taking trail ridge road?

Thanks I can not get mapquest to route me otherwise.

Nothing against TRR we are taking two trips through there; one with a rafting company the other on Rocky mountain adventures jeep tours but my husband does not want to drive it and I do want to visit Grand Lake for a day.

wow. that is going to be a long long drive.. Estes To Fort Collins, Fort Collins to Laramie Wyo. Laramie Wyo. to Walden, Walden to Granby, Granby to Grand Lake..

or

Estes to Lyons, Lyons to Denver or Golden, Golden to I 70, I70 Hwy. 40 over Berthoud pass, to Granby to Grand Lake

[DrCloud]

In the winter, when Trail Ridge is closed, we travel from Winter Park to Estes Park quite a bit, and we plan on about 2 1/2 hours. Grand Lake is a good 45 minutes north of Winter Park, but it's summer, so call it 3 hours (this is the south route, through Boulder and Golden, not the Wyoming Route noted above).

And, for the Wyoming route, you don't really have to go to Wyoming. You can take CO14 (Poudre Canyon) over Cameron Pass to Walden, then south to Granby. (There's a short cut, but that'd probably get you lost). HPH

[Midmccoy]

DrCloud, on 16 July 2011 - 02:42 PM, said:

In the winter, when Trail Ridge is closed, we travel from Winter Park to Estes Park quite a bit, and we plan on about 2 1/2 hours. Grand Lake is a good 45 minutes north of Winter Park, but it's summer, so call it 3 hours (this is the south route, through Boulder and Golden, not the Wyoming Route noted above).

And, for the Wyoming route, you don't really have to go to Wyoming. You can take CO14 (Poudre Canyon) over Cameron Pass to Walden, then south to Granby. (There's a short cut, but that'd probably get you lost). HPH

To bad you are not going to drive over TRR yourself..... its so neat to be able to take your time and drive across, stopping at all the turn outs and visiting the Alpine Visitor Center is so cool. There is just nothing like driving TRR.

[DrCloud]

^^ Well, it was the OP who didn't want to drive TRR. We're going to go back and forth about three times over the next few weeks. It's a great drive (if you pick the right time of day), and way faster, even with traffic. HPH

[jflo]

If you take the CO 14 route you will have to drive from EP to Fort Collins, take CO 14 to 40 to Granby, then up 34 to Grand Lake... plan to spend at least 4 1/2 to 5 hours that way.

You can figure this out with Google Maps directions... start with EP to Fort Collins, then add a destination to Walden CO, then add Grand Lake...

Hope this helps...

Sorry, there is no short way to get around TRR...

Edited by jflo, 16 July 2011 - 05:42 PM.

[Becky J.]

I love the drive on TRR over to Grand Lake from Estes.
I would advise you to try it.

Becky J.

[TamiDolphin]

TamiDolphin, on 16 July 2011 - 01:53 PM, said:

How long is the drive from Estes park to Grand Lake not taking trail ridge road?

Thanks I can not get mapquest to route me otherwise.

Nothing against TRR we are taking two trips through there; one with a rafting company the other on Rocky mountain adventures jeep tours but my husband does not want to drive it and I do want to visit Grand Lake for a day.

WOW sounds like a way long drive around. I saw videos on youtube with the drop offs and way scared us. Is it really that scary or is it just a few areas?

[Midmccoy]

DrCloud..... so sorry I did not mean to Quote you on that reply, guess I hit the wrong reply button.



TamiDolphin I think driving TRR yourself is a great idea! We have taken it many times and I have even driven it myself and it was not scary at all to us! I feel pretty safe on it. Its a wonderful experience, and like I said it's so cool to be able to take your time and enjoy the drive, being able to stop anytime you want to take pictures and check out the great views. You will probable see lots of animals along the way to and its nice to be able to stop and take a few pics of them and watch them if there is a safe place to pull off.

[DrCloud]

TamiDolphin, on 17 July 2011 - 02:16 PM, said:

WOW sounds like a way long drive around. I saw videos on youtube with the drop offs and way scared us. Is it really that scary or is it just a few areas?

What are you driving?

In regular passenger cars, including all but the most humongous SUV's, it's just a normal road. In a ginormous motor home, towing a car plus a boat, I suppose it could get interesting, but even then it's no big deal, really -- it's the width of the usual two-lane highway, after all, and the stretches with drop-offs tend to be straight.

Just remember that gravity works down. Only. It doesn't suck you sideways off the road. Ever.

It is true that whoever's driving isn't going to see as much of the scenery as the passengers, if nerves are involved, but there are plenty of places to pull off, get out (and marvel at the thin air, gasp), and check out the view.

In any case, YouTube videos are probably not the best way to judge the road. And even though the southern route is scenic as well, to go to Rocky without seeing Trail Ridge Road is like going to the Grand Canyon and never looking at the big hole in the ground. HPH

[jflo]

Take the advice of Jim Morrison: "Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel", and you should be good. ( I think Jim was referring to driving TRR when he wrote that lyric, possibly to a Grand Lake Roadhouse...)

[DrCloud]

jflo, on 17 July 2011 - 03:42 PM, said:

Take the advice of Jim Morrison...

Who?

I had lunch with one of my graduate students on Friday, and the restaurant played an old track from that era on the background music. I recognized it and said "Wow, I must be having a flashback, that's In a Gadda da Vida!"

She said, with a completely blank look on her face, "What's that?"

At least, if anyone asks, Jim Morrison will be a little easier to explain. HPH

[Qbert]

The question is always: How often do you drive off the side of the road when you're not in the mountains?

It's just a highway like any other highway. The surroundings are different, but the driving is the same.