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Tour of Colorado 2022: 9 days & 1,200 miles through Colorado with no schedule, itinerary, or accommodations. Just a guy a girl and a trail with a list of destinations and a loosely planned route.

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When we set out, we had no idea the scale of the expedition would be so epic:

• 1 State: Colorado
• 3 National Parks: Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison
• 9 National Forests: Pike, San Isabel, Rio Grande, San Juan, Uncompahgre, Gunnison, Grand Mesa, White River, and Arapahoe
• 12 Wilderness Areas: Lost Creek, Sangre De Cristo, Great Sand Dunes, Weminuche, Lizard Head, Uncompahgre, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, West Elk, Hunter-Fryingpan, Collegiate Peaks, Eagles Nest, and Ptarmigan Peak
• 16 Mountain Passes: Kenosha (10,000 ft), Red Hill (9,993 ft), Currant Creek (9,485 ft), Medano (10,040 ft), Wolf Creek (10,856 ft), Lizard Head (10,222 ft), Ophir (11,789 ft), Red Mountain (11,017 ft), Corkscrew Gulch (12,244 ft), Hurricane (10,338 ft), California Gulch (12,931 ft), Engineer (12,800 ft), Cinnamon (12,620 ft), McClure (8,770 ft), Independence (12,095 ft), and Fremont (11,319 ft)

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When we adventure, we try to keep the logistics to a minimum and schedule only what we need to make things work. Our 4Runner build provides an incredible level of freedom to make things up as we go. We don’t need to book hotels or campsites when we take the 4Runner. We can go pretty much anywhere which leads to endless opportunities to set up legal camp off the grid in remote places. For this trip, we planned the route around being gone for 9 days. We started by making a list of things in Colorado that we wanted to see or do and we used Google Maps to plot their locations. Once we had our locations, we started mapping out a general route that would give us a logical order to see the sights. Google makes it easy to add a stop, rearrange the order and instantly recalculate the route. We made guesses as to how much time we would spend in each place and gave a higher priority to some of the things that were the furthest from home, making them harder to access. If we may not get another chance to see it, let’s make it a priority and give it the time it deserves.

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Day 1: So there we were with 9 days at our disposal, and a plan that was more or less a list of stops with no strict schedule or timing. We kicked everything off with what has become a fun tradition of ours. On every big trip, we try to pick up a bottle of (very high-quality, additive-free) tequila and save it for our next big trip. When it’s time to leave, we open that bottle and toast to the next adventure with a neat pour. This time, we were lucky enough to crack open a rare bottle of Fortaleza 2021 Winter Blend Reposado that we had picked up on our trip to New Mexico.

With the 4Runner packed and ready, our excitement peaked as we hopped in and hit the road, just to turn around about half a mile later to double check that we actually locked the front door… Then, with the 4Runner packed and ready, and the front door definitely locked, we laughed at ourselves and hit the road for real.

A few hours into the mountains we spotted a roadside shop we had to get out and see. It was an odd assortment of used stuff, tacky décor, exotic jerky, and some large scale art. The handmade radiator shell on this one-of-a-kind hot rod did a particularly good job of catching Morgan’s eye.

We made our way through South Park out to Fairplay. We found a Mexican restaurant that was built on the main floor of a bed and breakfast. The building looked like it used to be an old Western motel, so we had to check it out. Plus, Mexican food is always a safe bet for gluten-free options for Morgan, and it rarely disappoints.

After lunch we walked around Fairplay. We’re always intrigued by these middle-of-nowhere mining towns, with so much history in the layout of the streets and the architecture.

The Sangre De Cristo Mountains provided our first dose of dirt. We worked our way up a washboard dirt road in terrible condition until we hit the much more primitive Medano Pass.

We followed the trail to the entrance of the Great Sand Dunes National Preserve.

This marked our first waypoint and we turned around to look for camp. We found a lovely spot in a clearing with West facing views. Find it if you can!

I asked Morgan to do a sexy pose…

We enjoyed dinner and a glass of wine while the sun set on the mountains, and our first day. This was the first real-world use of running water in the 4Runner. Game changer!

We settled in for the night.

Day 1 Overview: Pike National Forest —> Lost Creek Wilderness —> Kenosha Pass —> Red Hill Pass —> Lunch in Fairplay—> South Park National Heritage Site —>  Antero State Wildlife Area —> Arkansas Canyonlands —> San Isabel National Forest —> Sangre De Cristo Mountains —> Medano Pass —> Sangre De Cristo Wilderness —> Great Sand Dunes National Preserve —> Camped at 10,000 feet.

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Day 2: We woke up to a beautiful morning. There were a few clouds, but an otherwise blue sky. The crisp mountain air was pleasant and the warm glow of the morning sun was just what we needed. I started to break down camp while Morgan worked on morning coffee.

While we waited for the water to boil, Morgan wrestled her sports bra into submission. I watched.

Caffeinated and contained, we went over the planned objectives for the day and hit the trail.

We made our way back over to the Great Sand Dunes National Preserve and continued down Medano Pass.

The sun got higher and cooked off most of what little cloud cover there was. It started to get hot.

Most of the snow had melted off by this time of year. There are 9 water crossings, but the deepest one couldn’t have been more than 14-15 inches deep.

As we continued, we got our first preview of what was still to come. It’s an amazing sight to be in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, navigating an off-road trail, watching a sea of sand rising up on the horizon. We were about half way there.

We continued through water crossing after water crossing as the trail weaved back and forth across Medano Creek.

As the trail turned from dirt to sand, we officially entered into The Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Which of course, had more water crossings.

The sand got deeper as a distant storm approached.

The National Park Service strongly advises lowering your tire pressures in the sand for increased traction. In fact, they are so adamant, they even provide an air compressor station inside the park so you can inflate your tires to normal pressures before getting back on pavement. Our 4Runner is equipped with tall skinny Nitto Ridge Grappler tires and enough recovery gear to be completely self reliant if we were to get stuck. We opted out of airing down and continued on.

We have yet to go to the Sahara Desert, but if you didn’t know better, you’d swear this was it, right here in Colorado.

We rolled into the outskirts of the National Park’s main area around noon. We found the closest thing to a shady spot, and stopped to make some sandwiches for lunch.

What’s not to love about lunch with a view?

With full bellies we continued towards the main entry point to the dunes themselves.

“Morgan, strike a pose!”

It was hot out and the sign warned of sand temps up to 140°F during this time of year but we made our way out onto the dunes. Hot quickly turned into too hot. As I heroically fought off heat stroke and my impending certain death, Morgan took in the sights, fresh as a daisy and happy as can be. She was right in her element, enjoying the oppressive July heat.

We finished up in the sand and after a stop at the visitors center, made our way out of the park via the main entrance. The heat had given me quite the headache, I was ready to cool off and clean up. So our next stop was Zapata Falls. When we got to the trailhead we changed into swim suits and started the short hike to the waterfall.

We arrived to a small crowd of people doing whatever they could to stay dry while trying to catch a glimpse of the falls. The water was fresh snow melt and couldn’t have been much over 40°F. This time I was in my element. To the horror of spectators I hopped right into the near-freezing water and submerged myself. The ice water was just what I needed. I spent the better part of 10 minutes relaxing in the water and splashing around. I emerged feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.

I finished my pseudo bath, dried off, and we started our way back down. That’s when the storm clouds finally caught up with us. We hiked back in an all out downpour of cold, stinging rain. It was quite the challenge trying to dry off (again) and get clean clothes on at the rig, during a heavy rain, without soaking the interior. We’ll say we had mild levels of success. It certainly could have been worse.

The rain continued for hours as we made our way to Wolf Creek Pass. We decided the best course of action was to scope out some places to camp while it was still light out and then head back to town for a dry dinner indoors.

We found a great spot as the rain slowed to a drizzle. Change of plans – we took advantage of the letup and set up camp for the night. The iKamper Skycamp’s fast setup time really shines when the sun chooses not to.

We used a tarp over the hatch for a makeshift shelter. The rain picked back up, but we had a dry place to cook dinner. Morgan whipped up a quick tortellini and we ate it straight out of the pot. The warm, hardy meal really hit the spot.

After a quick clean-up we retired to the tent for the evening. Snuggled up under the sound of raindrops on the tent, we drifted off.

Day 2 Overview: San Isabel National Forest —> Sangre De Cristo Mountains —> Medano Pass —> Sangre De Cristo Wilderness —> Great Sand Dunes National Preserve —> Great Sand Dunes National Park —> Zapata Falls Recreation Area —> Zapata Falls —> Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge—> Blanca Wetlands —> Rio Grande National Forest —> Wolf Creek Pass —> Weminuche Wilderness  —> Camped at 9,600 feet.

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Day 3: We woke up to the sounds of water lazily flowing through a nearby stream. It was another beautiful morning. In the low visibility of the previous night’s storm, the scale and grandeur of our location had been masked. Now, in the clear morning, it was stunning. We had unknowingly found our own secluded slice of National Forest paradise in the mountains.

While the sun dried out the tent, we discussed our plan for the day over coffee.

We made our way back down the trail and set out on the road to Wolf Creek Pass.

We stopped at a scenic overlook atop the mountain pass and took in the views of the valley below.

I was drawn in by all the subtle detail in the layers of rock.

We arrived in Pagosa Springs and found a quaint little spot on the edge of town for brunch. While we ate, we researched options for visiting a hot spring. There was a free public one nearby so we went and checked it out. It wasn’t quite what we had had in mind. Pagosa’s hot springs were mostly resorts in the middle of town set into the banks of the San Juan River, all of which were jam-packed with people. The free option was just a small man-made rock pool in the river where hot spring water was dumping in via a system of pipes. The crowds were horrible and the smell was even worse.

We decided to move on and continued West. About an hour later we happened across the Chimney Rock National Monument.

After a quick visit, we set our sites on Durango. We made our way through the main downtown loop and looked for somewhere unique to stretch our legs and grab a drink. We spotted Durango Craft Spirits and couldn’t pass it up. We rolled into their tiny shared parking lot hoping to find an open space. There weren’t any, but a gentleman sitting on the patio directed us into a spot blocking in his car. He was Michael, the owner and head distiller of this small craft spirits distillery, and he welcomed us travelers in like we were old friends. We started with a flight of their four cornerstone spirits. We chatted with Michael while we sipped, and ordered some great cocktails as the conversation unfolded. He talked about his unique ingredients and processes, how this all began and the historic origins behind the branded names of his spirits. We even got the inside scoop on the hidden meaning behind the numbers on Tinhorn label’s dice. We left smiling, with one of each bottle.

The last leg of our day was getting to Mesa Verde National Park. We arrived at the park half an hour before they closed with the intention of tapping into an under-utilized resource: park rangers (shout out to Morgan’s cousin, Megan!). We told the ranger we were planning on spending the day there tomorrow and asked for a recommendation for dispersed camping nearby. He was more than happy to oblige, and gave us details on where to go that proved his wealth of knowledge about the area. We departed on the treasure hunt with his hand-drawn map in hand.

And treasure we found. We set up camp and made dinner overlooking the National Park.

We enjoyed the setting sun.

Then we spent the rest of the evening cuddled up in our camping chairs watching “Aliens” on the tailgate. The milder weather at lower elevation made for what was likely the most pleasant night we’ve ever had camping.

This was the first time we got to sleep with all the windows wide open.

Day 3 Overview: Rio Grande National Forest —> Wolf Creek Pass —> Weminuche Wilderness  —> San Juan National Forest —> brunch in Pagosa Springs —> San Juan River —> Southern Ute Indian Reservation —> Chimney Rock National Monument —> Tracks Across Borders Scenic Byway —> Durango Craft Spirits in Durango —> Mesa Verde National Park —> Camped at 6,800 feet.

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Day 4: We woke to the incredible view of Mesa Verde glowing in the morning sun.

We packed up and headed back over to the National Park. The steep and winding road opened up to incredible lookout points. The patches of rain falling in the distance added an extra layer of beauty.

The view was epic!

We continued around the park on our way to find cliff dwellings, stopping at overlooks from time to time. It’s not pictured, but at one point we could see Canyon Lands National Park, Arches National Park, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and the 4 Corners from a single vantage point.

We got to the trailhead that would lead us to the Step House cliff dwellings and set off on the hike.

We thought the geology of this cliff looked cool, but we hadn’t grasped the significance of it quite yet.

We continued our hike down.

That cliff we were admiring earlier revealed itself as we hiked down and rounded the bend. The cliff provided natural shelter to the people that first lived here 1400 years ago! The site was packed with history. It contained the remnants of two different civilizations, the first from the early 600s C.E., the second from the 1200s.

We finished our hike and with noon approaching we headed towards the main entrance.

We stopped in Cortez for lunch and to resupply. Shower wipes are great but we both wanted a real shower. Along our drive towards Telluride we found a small lake on a map and stopped to check it out.

There was a storm approaching from the distance, but this would do nicely. We changed into swim suits again, grabbed towels and biodegradable soap and headed for the water. Morgan was ecstatic to wash her hair.

A clean couple is a happy couple. Look at those smiles!

We finished in the nick of time, beating the rain by a couple minutes.

The rain caught us on the road where the rock started to turn red.

We caught a glimpse of a trail branching off the main road and couldn’t resist taking the turn.

Our curiosity paid off as the rain slowed to a drizzle and the mountains rose up into living paintings in brilliant colors.

Morgan even asked me to stop so she could get a picture.

The trail became more of a dirt road as it looped around to stunning views of an alpine lake.

I absolutely adore this woman!

We got back on the main road and continued along until it was time to look for camp. We headed up a narrow, bench-cut, muddy trail.

We passed some mining ruins and continued along.

We were getting pretty high in elevation.

We settled for making this place home for the night.

We took advantage of the rain slowing to a drizzle and explored a little bit. We had the opportunity to meet the neighbors, there was a lot of them but they were quiet and kept to themselves.

I couldn’t get over how pretty this place was. The mix of mountain and machine looked so dramatic in this landscape.

Morgan removed some of her hairs from her jacket.

And then got embarrassed when she realized I caught it on camera.

But she loves me.

She prepared a quick dinner while I got lost in the views.

The rain started to pick up again and we huddled under the tent with our sandwiches and wine.

At 11,300 feet above sea level, this was our highest night of the trip.

Day 4 Overview: Mesa Verde National Park —> Step House cliff dwellings —> Lunch in Cortez —> Canyons of the Ancients —> San Juan Skyway Scenic Route —> Uncompahgre National Forest —> Trout Lake —> Lizard Head Wilderness —> Crown Jewel Mine Ruins —> Camped at 11,300 feet.

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Day 5: We got up, packed up, and made our way out to see Alta Lakes.

Next up was an area of extensive mining ruins we had to get out and explore.

We poked our heads inside but it’s important to note, we didn’t walk into any of these dilapidated buildings. These structures have been rotting away in the elements for the past hundred years. With no way of knowing if it’s structurally sound, the safe bet is to admire from a distance.

Remnants of an old sluice box.

Next up: Telluride! We had both been looking forward to this stop.

We walked the beautiful main street of this little mountain town, admiring the built environment against the natural environment.

New Sheridan seemed to be one of the most iconic spots for brunch in Telluride. The menu looked delicious so we got ourselves a booth with a view. While we sipped our coffee and savored the food, we got some free entertainment in the form of incessant whining from a group of entitled tourist. A parade of full grown adult-sized babies took turns coming inside one by one to complain about New Sheridan’s unwillingness to hold tables and rearrange their busy restaurant so a huge group without a reservation could all sit together in the middle of the restaurant’s (and hotel’s) main throughway. This space was clear so of course they should line up tables for them in the middle of it all. They must have threatened to leave 5-6 times over the course of 15 minutes before finally doing so. We appreciated the entertainment of it all and the restaurant taking a polite but firm stance. We made sure to tip a little extra on our way out.

We continued our way around town, taking it all in. We struck out looking for this trip’s special tequila. Even though we struck out, we were able to resupply food and basic essentials for the coming days. The rain started to fall and we retreated back to the 4Runner. It was finally time for the crown jewel of the trip, the part I was anticipating the most, Colorado’s famed Alpine Loop! We rolled up to Imogene Pass and waited for a line of vehicles finishing the trail that had come from the other direction. The first guy rolled down his window and informed us that if we were going up it was going to be a while, he was the first in a massive group of Jeeps. Every few vehicles would stop and warn us that they were a huge group and it would be a while. Ten minutes and not enough vehicles later, a passing driver mentioned there were still about 50 Jeeps behind him. Change of plans – Ophir Pass. The rain worsened to a torrential downpour as we made our way South out of Telluride, but it slowed again as we approached the town of Ophir.

My grandiose visions for the Alpine Loop involved clear skies and traction for days as we’d make our way through these historic passes. Little did we know, near constant rain would be the overarching theme of the next few days. Slightly disappointed, a little nervous, but still excited, we started the muddy assent up rock laden bench-cut trails with the ever-present threat of falling to our death a few feet to our side.

We watched in amazement as the clouds swooped in with incredible speed and laid claim to our panoramic views.

The trail grew eerie and disorienting as the clouds took over.

This was no longer a world I recognized.

It was surreal.

We made it up to the 11,789 foot summit.

And started our descent into the valley on the other side.

The colors returned as we dropped back down out of the clouds.

Even while already on such a remote trail, the draw of an offshoot into the further unknown proved irresistible.

The forest grew denser.

We earned some new Colorado pinstripes as tree branches began dragging down both sides of the 4Runner.

The brilliant red and orange tones this region displays so prominently is due to the high concentration of iron ore in the mountains that, over time, oxidizes. The water runoff can make for some streams that don’t look at home on this world.

We explored our way through to the Red Mountain Mining Area.

And to the ruins of the historic Yankee Girl Mine.

With the rain paused, we found ourselves setting up camp at another beautiful site, this time along the edge of a cliff.

Morgan made an incredible gnocchi.

Tired but happy, a guy a girl and a trail.

Day 5 Overview: Gold King Basin —> Uncompahgre National Forest —> Alta Lakes —> Brunch in Telluride at New Sheridan —> Imogene Pass —> Ophir Pass —> Ophir Needles Geological Area —> San Juan National Forest —> Bonner Mine —> Million Dollar Highway —> Chattanooga Historic Site —> Red Mountain Pass —> Red Mountain Mining Area —> Yankee Girl Mine —> Ironton Townsite —> Uncompahgre National Forest —> Camped at 10,000 feet.

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Click here for Part 2

Where the intensity kicks up a notch and the views get even better!

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