Towards the end of the summer of 2023, I visited Colorado with friends for a few days. We had planned to go to the Rocky Mountains National Park and the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park. The idea was to hike in the Rocky Mountains and then drive to Montrose to see the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park. We also stopped by Glenwood Springs for a day of river rafting. Here's how I planned it in detail:
Day 1: Arrival in Denver and Rocky Mountain National Park
We arrived early in the morning at the Denver airport and had planned to reach Estes Park while stopping along the way at Grand Lake and Bear Lake Trailhead for the Alberta Falls Hike. We had decided to take a special route to make our drive more scenic.
We all enjoyed the drive and loved the viewpoints that gave panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains. We also stopped by the Alpine Visitor Center to talk to the park rangers about our plans for the park and for any tips they might have for us. We were advised to do the Mt. Ida hike for its panoramic views. We were also told to start early in the morning and return by the afternoon because there are often lightning storms near the top of the mountain later in the day.
We finished the day by doing the Alberta Falls hike. It was a small and pleasant hike to a small waterfall. We did it to warm up for our big trek tomorrow and check out other famous places in the park, such as Bear Lake.
Day 2: Mt. Ida Hike and Glenwood Springs
The objective for day 2 was to complete the Mt. Ida Hike by afternoon and leave for Glenwood Springs in the evening (4-hour drive).
Mt. Ida has an elevation of over 12,800 feet and offers avid hikers a panoramic view of the Rocky Mountains. The total length of the hike is around 10 miles and has an elevation gain of 2465 feet. We started the hike early in the morning, around 6:30 am, per the park rangers' suggestion. At the beginning, there's a steep climb; however, after 1.1 miles, the trail reaches open tundra. Then, the route alternates between some steep climbs and level terrain along the mountain ridge. Finally, there's a steep climb to the top towards the end. My favorite part of the hike was walking along the ridge and seeing the beautiful Rocky Mountains on our side. The most challenging part of the hike was the steep climb to the top at the end. The final mile to the top is very rugged and has rocky landscape to the summit. The path is also poorly defined, and we took the path of least resistance. After hiking for around 5 miles, we will finally reach the summit of Mt. Ida. At the top, we enjoyed sweeping 360-degree views and had a picturesque brunch. We started our descent after finishing our meals and were able to get down to the trailhead by 2 pm.
Later, we left for Glenwood Springs and reached there by evening. We ended the day by having a dinner at a nice Nepali restaurant in the town.
Day 3: River Rafting and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
We started the morning by trying out river rafting at Glenwood Springs. Although the rapids in the river were not that powerful, we still had a good time and enjoyed our time in the river.
After getting out of the river, we headed towards the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. We reached the park around noon and stopped by the visitor centre first to discuss with the rangers about things to do at the park. We were told to do the South rim drive which offers 12 scenic overlooks of the canyons in the park. We also asked about stargazing at night and were informed that the park has one of the darkest skies in the US and is a good spot for stargazing. We decided to drive along the South Rim road and stop by the various overlooks in the afternoon. And for evening, go back to town to get dinner and come back at night to do stargazing.
All of the scenic overlooks offered breathtaking views of the canyon. We wanted to hike to the bottom of the canyon to get the whole experience but unfortunately we didn't have the time. In the evening, after a meal in town, we returned to one of the scenic overlooks to marvel at the fantastic night sky. We all loved the whole experience and wished we had camped at night in the park so we didn't have to go back in town to our Airbnb.
Day 4: Mt. Blue Sky and Drive Back to Denver
On our final day, we planned a scenic drive to Mt. Blue Sky before heading back to Denver. The mountain, standing at 14,271 feet, offered a grand overlook of Denver. The drive along the scenic byway was smooth and refreshing, a perfect end to our Colorado adventure.
From the Rocky Mountains' grandeur to the starlit wonders of the Black Canyon, our Colorado journey was an unforgettable blend of nature's best.
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