A summer loop from Denver to Salida, Crested Butte, Aspen and Breckenridge over Monarch, Kebler and Independence passes. Mainly for mountain bikers and hikers.
When: Kebler Pass (Crested Butte to CO-133, mostly gravel, open to passenger cars in summer) and Independence Pass (CO-82, opened May 22-June 1 in 2020-2025) are both closed in winter; high trails at all four stops are snow-free about July-September. [1][2][3]
Getting there: Fly into DEN; major rental companies at the airport. Independence Pass has vehicle length limits; check CDOT before towing anything.
Route: OpenStreetMap road data (OSRM). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Spots: OpenBeta and our guides.
CO, United States
Suggested stay: 2 nights
Monarch Crest is the high-alpine MTB epic that every Colorado rider has on their bucket list
CO, United States
Suggested stay: 3 nights
Colorado's wildflower capital: a historic mining town at 8,885 ft with the 401 Trail, a big ski mountain and Maroon Bells wilderness on its doorstep.
CO, United States
Suggested stay: 3 nights
Four ski mountains, the Maroon Bells and Independence Pass: a high-alpine Colorado valley for steep skiing, singletrack, granite cragging and fourteeners.
CO, United States
Suggested stay: 2 nights
Historic gold-rush town at 9,600 ft, hub of Summit County: four ski areas, the Tenmile Range, a 14er, Lake Dillon and a paved rec-path network.
Best: Jul-Sep. Kebler Pass (Crested Butte to CO-133, mostly gravel, open to passenger cars in summer) and Independence Pass (CO-82, opened May 22-June 1 in 2020-2025) are both closed in winter; high trails at all four stops are snow-free about July-September.
All 3 stops are in peak or shoulder season in Jun-Oct.
Number = stops in peak or shoulder season that month. Darker = more stops at peak.
14.2 h on the road over 5 drives: about 2.8 h per drive on average, 601 mi (967 km) in total.
Longest day: Crested Butte to Aspen & Snowmass, 3 h 12 min.
No single drive is over 6 hours.
Drive times are free-flow estimates from OpenStreetMap roads, without stops, traffic or border queues.
4 stops · 771 mi · one way
Moab → Cedar City → Zion National Park → Hurricane
5 stops · 733 mi · loop
Sedona → Prescott → Tucson → Cochise Stronghold → Oak Flat
4 stops · 703 mi · loop
Yosemite National Park → Mammoth Lakes → Bishop → Lake Tahoe
4 stops · 668 mi · loop
Peak District → Pembrokeshire → Snowdonia (Eryri) → Lake District
4 stops · 601 mi · loop
Zillertal → Innsbruck → Dolomites → Arco
5 stops · 578 mi · loop
Rumney → North Conway → Bethel → East Burke & Kingdom Trails → Mad River Valley
3 stops · 576 mi · loop
Park City → Jackson Hole → Ogden Valley
3 stops · 576 mi · loop
Squamish → Whistler → Tofino
4 stops · 560 mi · loop
Chattanooga → Bryson City → Asheville → Brevard
4 stops · 528 mi · loop
Canmore → Lake Louise → Golden → Revelstoke
4 stops · 406 mi · loop
Chamonix → Verbier → Zermatt → Interlaken
4 stops · 377 mi · loop
Hood River → Mount Hood (Government Camp) → Smith Rock → Bend
Change the stops and nights in the builder, or start from your own front door.