Getting to Estes Park and Grand Lake with our camper

[birchyboy]

We're heading to Estes in a couple weeks with our travel trailer and possibly Grand Lake the following week. I'm hesitant to head over any large passes because of it's my Yukon's age and powertrain. It did well hauling the camper to Maine and back this summer, even through the mountains in WV, but I haven't attempted anything like I'd hit going West via I-70.

I know there are two basic ways to get to Estes from Denver - through Boulder or through Longmont. Does either direction have notably less elevation changes over the other? Same question about Grand Lake. Any way to get there with minimal elevation change?

Time is a factor - I don't want to add 4 hours to a 2 hour trip, but making it 3 hours instead of 2 would be OK.

Thanks

[FZRguy]

Hwy 36 prolly the easiest with trailer to EP (closed all this week btw). Are you going to Grand Lake from Estes, or the metro area?

[Kim-n-Dean]

Hwy 36 prolly the easiest with trailer to EP (closed all this week btw).

That's how we always go with our fifth-wheel. Easy drive!!

We're heading to Estes in a couple weeks with our travel trailer and possibly Grand Lake the following week. I'm hesitant to head over any large passes because of it's my Yukon's age and powertrain. It did well hauling the camper to Maine and back this summer, even through the mountains in WV, but I haven't attempted anything like I'd hit going West via I-70.

I know there are two basic ways to get to Estes from Denver - through Boulder or through Longmont. Does either direction have notably less elevation changes over the other? Same question about Grand Lake. Any way to get there with minimal elevation change?

Time is a factor - I don't want to add 4 hours to a 2 hour trip, but making it 3 hours instead of 2 would be OK.

Thanks

Where do you stay in Estes? We have plans to hit Estes soon, too. Bring the street bikes and rip over to Granby. Breckenridge trip planned as well. Dirt bikes on that one...

[birchyboy]

Hwy 36 prolly the easiest with trailer to EP (closed all this week btw). Are you going to Grand Lake from Estes, or the metro area?

Estes Park the weekend of the 15th and then Grand Lake the following weekend.

[birchyboy]

That's how we always go with our fifth-wheel. Easy drive!!

Where do you stay in Estes? We have plans to hit Estes soon, too. Bring the street bikes and rip over to Granby. Breckenridge trip planned as well. Dirt bikes on that one...

We're staying at the KOA and it will be our first time.

We stayed at a mix of KOA's and Good Sam approved campgrounds on our 25 night trip to Maine and back and had good luck at most of the KOA's. The Good Sam approved campgrounds were about 70% good.

[longrider]

For getting to Grand Lake there is no easy way without going WAY out of your way. Your 3 choices are back to Estes park and over Trail Ridge ( am not sure of the grades on Trail Ridge), I70 to 40 and over Berthoud Pass through Winter Park and Granby (not recommended given your concerns(, or west on the 70 to Silverthorne, north on 9 to Kremmling and then back east on 40 to Granby. 70 to 9 to 40 is probably the easiest on grades but definitely not the shortest. The ridiculously long but easiest on grades route I referred to would be 287 north from Fort Collins to Laramie, then SW on Wyo 230 which becomes Colo 127 and then down to Walden. From Walden you then take CO 125 s to Granby