CO posters: a question about CO vacation 2022

[RoxMonster]

I know we have several posters here who live in CO and this board is more active than Travel, so I hope it's OK if I run some things by you about what we hope to do for vacation in summer 2022. I am looking this far ahead because some rentals I've looked into for almost a year out are already booking up fast :/

We LOVE Colorado; this will be our fourth time there. We have done Denver, Boulder, all four national parks, and the San Juans/Ouray/Telluride. We have stayed one night in Dillon on a road trip and want to explore Summit County more and likely also Crested Butte.

This would be for sometime in July 2022. We're driving in from IL. I was thinking either four nights Breck/4 nights Crested Butte or would you do 5 nights in Breck/3 nights in Crested Butte?

Things we want to do:
-Lots of hiking
-Possibly a jeep tour
-Maybe rent a pontoon for Lake Dillon
-Visit breweries
-Hear some live outdoor music
-Just relax. We usually have multi-stop national park road trips which I love, but are very exhausting and we want a year off from that to just kind of chill. 

We also wouldn't mind doing some day trips, like going to Vail from Breck/Frisco (I'd be OK staying in either), and I'd like to try to find a way to visit Aspen and Maroon Bells but not sure where to fit that in.

Right now, I'm looking for a condo through Summit Rentals for Breck and then VRBO for Crested Butte, which is more expensive but I've heard it's beautiful there so I'd like to go.

Any thoughts?

[steamboat185]

Personally, I would do Aspen over Breck. We’ve camped in Aspen the last 2 summers and it is just such a nice easy spot. There is a river just outside of town with a lot of free access that is wonderful for swimming, paddle boarding, chill kayaking. We spent two afternoons there in July and the kids loved just floating down the sandbar. Maroon bells is wonderful (and it’s pretty easy to get an early, before 8, or after 5pm parking pass), but there are also approximately 8k other awesome hikes nearby. We took the kids into an ice cave, multiple lakes, meadows etc. There is a ton of wildlife- bears, beavers, moose, deer, you name it. You can hike from Aspen to Crested Butte (we’ve never done it, but it supposed to be amazing). One of my favorite parts of Aspen is that it’s so easy to go and do something awesome and then go into town for an ice cream in the afternoon. I know not exactly what you asked, but I would look into it! Edit if you are open to camping at all we stayed at Difficult campground and it was really nice- just about a 10 minutes drive to downtown Aspen.

Also another crazy recommendation- check out Kuku campers. We rented with them in March (family of 4). They are fairly inexpensive and might allow you to feel like you aren’t constantly packing/unpacking but allow you a bit more freedom. Even with 4 of us there was enough storage and generally enough space for what we needed. Always having our food and house with us made everything more relaxed. Need a snack? No problem. Want a beer? I have several!

[fuckyourcouch]

Crested butte is my favorite place in this state and I would always choose there. Highly recommend the purple mountain b&b, we’ve stayed there multiple times and never had anything less than a stellar experience.

[foundmylazybum]

In July you can hike from crested butte to aspen over maroon belles. It's wild flower season.

It might be something to consider.

[treschic]

Lake City! Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous.

[lynn07]

I would do a couple of nights in Breck/Frisco and a couple of nights in Aspen. We like them both for different reasons. I love how easy it is to walk to everything in Breck, like taking the gondola, going to the lake, etc. Aspen is gorgeous and it’s proximity to Maroon Bells can’t be beat. I like them both for 2 or 3 nights.

[RoxMonster]

I had shied away from looking at staying in Aspen because I heard it's really pricey. But I can look into some rental options there as well. Is staying in Snowmass for Aspen possibly cheaper and still convenient?

We are not campers, and having a private (flushing) bathroom is a non-negotiable for me lol. But otherwise I am open to cabins, condos, hotels, inns, whatever. I like the idea of a rental with a kitchen and possibly an outdoor area to sit in but it's not a requirement.

[lynn07]

Aug 9, 2021 10:57:58 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

I had shied away from looking at staying in Aspen because I heard it's really pricey. But I can look into some rental options there as well. Is staying in Snowmass for Aspen possibly cheaper and still convenient?

We are not campers, and having a private (flushing) bathroom is a non-negotiable for me lol. But otherwise I am open to cabins, condos, hotels, inns, whatever. I like the idea of a rental with a kitchen and possibly an outdoor area to sit in but it's not a requirement.

Honestly, all the mountain towns are pricey enough that I don’t notice much of a difference in the summer (winter is a different story). Snowmass is not as convenient as staying in Aspen. I prefer Aspen over Snowmass. Check out the Limelight in Aspen. We’ve found some decent deals there before.

[steamboat185]

Aug 9, 2021 10:57:58 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

I had shied away from looking at staying in Aspen because I heard it's really pricey. But I can look into some rental options there as well. Is staying in Snowmass for Aspen possibly cheaper and still convenient?

We are not campers, and having a private (flushing) bathroom is a non-negotiable for me lol. But otherwise I am open to cabins, condos, hotels, inns, whatever. I like the idea of a rental with a kitchen and possibly an outdoor area to sit in but it's not a requirement.

Staying in Aspen isn’t cheap, but all the mountains towns are crazy expensive this year. I personally would avoid Snowmass as it’s kind of a pain to get around from there. Aspen Highlands is on the road to Maroon Bells, but I really like staying east of Aspen before Independence Pass (no idea how expensive that is).

[RoxMonster]

I looked at the Aspen tourism website and it looks beautiful!

So if you had 8 nights of actual vacation to play with (driving days are separate), how would you divvy it up amongst these?

I was thinking:
-3 days Breck
-2 days Aspen
-2 days CB

And would you do them in that order?

Thanks so much for everyone's help!

[lynn07]

Aug 9, 2021 11:20:26 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

I looked at the Aspen tourism website and it looks beautiful!

So if you had 8 nights of actual vacation to play with (driving days are separate), how would you divvy it up amongst these?

I was thinking:
-3 days Breck
-2 days Aspen
-2 days CB

And would you do them in that order?

Thanks so much for everyone's help!

That’s 7 nights 😝 I would do 3 nights Breck, 3 nights Aspen, 2 nights CB. And that order sounds fine!

[RoxMonster]

Aug 9, 2021 12:19:20 GMT -5 lynn07 said:

Aug 9, 2021 11:20:26 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

I looked at the Aspen tourism website and it looks beautiful!

So if you had 8 nights of actual vacation to play with (driving days are separate), how would you divvy it up amongst these?

I was thinking:
-3 days Breck
-2 days Aspen
-2 days CB

And would you do them in that order?

Thanks so much for everyone's help!

That’s 7 nights 😝 I would do 3 nights Breck, 3 nights Aspen, 2 nights CB. And that order sounds fine!

Haha you're right! I cut an extra night I did not need to.

[steamboat185]

Aug 9, 2021 12:32:32 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

Aug 9, 2021 12:19:20 GMT -5 lynn07 said:

That’s 7 nights 😝 I would do 3 nights Breck, 3 nights Aspen, 2 nights CB. And that order sounds fine!

Haha you're right! I cut an extra night I did not need to.

I think that sounds great, but I would also see what days of the week you will be in each town. IMHO, Breck can handle weekend crowds the best of the 3 and Aspen handles them the worst. If possible do Aspen during the week and it is so much more pleasant. CB while not great with crowds is a bit easier to get around on the weekends, while Aspen is just FULL.

Edit if you want a challenging hike in Breck look up Wheeler pass. It goes from Breck over to Copper and is so pretty, but it’s a pretty aggressive climb and about 10 miles. You can also go up and down from the Breck side which should shorten the hike by a mile or two.

[RoxMonster]

I think we would be in Breck Fri, Sat, Sun nights; Aspen on Mon, Tues, Wed nights and then CB on Thurs and Fri.

I'm excited! I plan to start booking some things soon.

One question about Independence Pass - I have heard it is white knuckle driving. We have driven Million Dollar Highway before a couple years ago and while it was a bit nerve-wracking at times, we were OK driving it. Is Independence Pass comparable or even worse?

[steamboat185]

Aug 9, 2021 14:56:43 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

I think we would be in Breck Fri, Sat, Sun nights; Aspen on Mon, Tues, Wed nights and then CB on Thurs and Fri.

I'm excited! I plan to start booking some things soon.

One question about Independence Pass - I have heard it is white knuckle driving. We have driven Million Dollar Highway before a couple years ago and while it was a bit nerve-wracking at times, we were OK driving it. Is Independence Pass comparable or even worse?

It’s not bad. I just drove over it in my new to me Sprinter 170 with 2 kids for the first time (I’ve been over it a bunch, but apparently only as a passenger somehow.). There is one narrow part when you are almost into Aspen that is one lane it’s split into 2 sections each about .25-.3 miles long. Otherwise it’s really not a big deal. The worst part was the idiot passing everyone in the (obviously) no passing area. Just go slow around the hairpin turns.

[escrow]

Personally I would spend more time in CB and/or Aspen than Breck. I do love Breck but everything off I-70 is SO touristy and packed. CB has such a more quaint feel to it because it is so much harder to access. Check out Redstone and Paonia too.

[outnumbered]

I am not from CO, but my son just spent 10 days in CO with his scout troop. They camped at a place called Bar Ni Ranch. It is in southern CO in the Sangre De Christo Mountains. There is a lodge with accommodations so no camping is involved for people who like plumbing. It was an amazing trip. They did horseback riding, jeep tours, and spent 4 days back country hiking. The ranch serves all meals and offers babysitting upon request. Prices are not listed on their website. You have to call. thebarniranch.com/ It really was the trip of lifetime for these kids.

ETA: There are many short single day hikes in the area.  I just looked and it does say you have to be invited to make a reservation, but it cannot hurt to call.

[definitelyO]

I don't think Independence pass is that scary

there are some cute shops/restaurants in Leadville - the little town has been doing a good job lately. (you'll drive through before the Pass - so if you want lunch/coffee/ice cream)

[doctoranda]

The Annabelle Inn in Aspen is very affordable and good.

[ste]

Does the altitude ever bother you? That’s a lot of time at a lot of elevation.

I also love the Bells. Haven’t done it in ~20years, so the tourist situation is undoubtedly different, but it’s so beautiful.

[namasteak]

We always spend the majority of our time in Estes Park.

When my MIL goes by herself she stays in an AB&B in a little town by boulder called Nederland.

[RoxMonster]

We've been through Nederland on our way to RMNP and it was very cute there!

Altitude typically doesn't bother me too much. The first day or so at high elevation, I definitely feel it even walking on level ground just in getting out of breath so much faster, but I have never gotten sick from the elevation. It just makes me hike slower. I also usually avoid drinking alcohol the first couple days we're at elevation and try to increase my water. Knock on wood, I haven't had any bad reactions to elevation so far.