The best scenic road trips the US has to offer – Colorado

With most international travel on hiatus in 2020, a lot of Americans are shifting their vacation plans to exploring their own backyard. RV rentals and sales are rising and people are looking for a good, old-fashioned US road trip.

But where should you go?

Having driven through all 50 states, I have many the recommendation. Over the next few days, I am going to share my top suggestions of the best week-long road trips exploring some of the best scenery the US has to offer.

First up? Colorado!

Colorado – The heart of the Rocky Mountains

Home to some of the most diverse and breathtaking scenery in the country, and some of the most spectacular scenic stretches of highway, a road trip through the Colorado Rockies allows you to visit 4 of the most interesting National Parks in the country.

• Starting in Denver, it is a pretty easy drive to Estes Park, the gateway to the Rocky Mountains National Park. You can easily spend a few days exploring and hiking in the park, but it will take you a day to drive through the park to Great Lake on the western side. The Eastern side of the park is home to elk, moose and coyotes, as well as magnificent lakes surrounded by snow capped mountains. Driving through the park, you will cross the Great Divide, over the mountain peaks with spectacular scenery on every side. On the Western side you will find green valleys with rivers, waterfalls, more wildlife, and more excellent hiking. There are campsites and cabins on both side of the park, and lots of backcountry hiking and camping options as well.

• Driving west through the Rocky Mountains, a long days drive will get you to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, with sheer cliffs the size of the Empire State Building. Watching the sun setting over the cliffs is simply stunning.

• You can then head south to Mesa Verde National Park. There you can explore ruins from some of the oldest cliff-dwelling indigenous communities – they are a mind-blowing ancient construction feat. You can take guided tours through the ruins which are incredible, but they do sell out, so book in advance.

• Heading back to the East, a days drive will get you to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, where hiking and sand-boarding the dunes offer a unique experience. There are also some rivers to hike along which are really pretty.

• Completing the loop, you can head back North via Garden of the Gods State Park in Colorado Springs before arriving back into Denver. Another popular stop is Royal Gorge which is an amusement park atop a huge canyon, with one of the highest suspension bridges in the world.

If you have more time, you could add a stop at Colorado National Monument, further west of Black Canyon. You could even keep going and head south through Utah, stopping at Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

Colorado is always one of my top recommendations when people ask for my favorite states to visit because of the diversity of breathtaking scenery to explore, in a relatively small area. Comment below if you have any more Colorado recommendations.

Happy Walkabout!

Open Colorado Scenic Drive in Google Maps

Please note, these suggestions are based purely on the destination, and do not factor in latest case numbers or government regulations. Please refer to the latest local government requirements regarding travel during the COVID-19 outbreak, and travel responsibly and carefully.

Forever on Walkabout

foreveronwalkabout

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