Western Colorado Road questions

[F6Dave]

The CO-141 loop is a little known gem of a ride. There are miles of canyons with wonderful sweeping curves. The roads are nearly deserted.

Few know about the Gateway Auto Museum (or the Gateway Canyons Resort) but it is a world class museum and resort literally out in the middle of nowhere. Here are a few snapshots I took the last time I visited:

Cadillac V-16:


Deusenberg:


Olds F-88 (only 2 built, bought for $2.5 Million)


Filling up my old Valkyrie at the resort's gas station (great scenery in the area):


Entrance to the museum:

[miramiramira]

What everybody else is saying about the Southwest corner of CO is spot on. You really can’t pick a bad ride. I’ll chime in about getting there.

I ride from Lubbock to CO at least twice a year. I can get to Durango or Gunnison in a day (through Taos and Chama) and I stage from one of those two cities. It’s day’s worth to be sure but entirely doable.

Going from Amarillo to Taos, consider picking up 104 out of Tucumcari (if you’re willing to exceed the speed limit). It’s a gorgeous ride and it’s a great view rolling off the high plateau into Las Vegas. Or, consider staying on the freeway past Santa Rosa and picking up 84 to Las Vegas. Lately, that’s been my choice of road, it’s not quite as scenic but it’s faster.

If you stay in Raton on the way back, you’ll be thinking about 87 Through Clayton, etc. to get back into Texas. I’d recommend against it because 87 in Dalhart is under major construction and the traffic tie up is brutal (easily over an hour of bumper to bumper stop and go). There isn’t a good way around the construction due to the railroad tracks. Consider running down 25 until you get to Springer or Wagon Mound and dropping down 39 to get back to 40.

This loop, “Durango, we could go east and take 50 to 149, and take 149 down to 160.” That route, Durango to Ouray to Montrose to Gunnison to Creede, to South Fork and back to Durango is all paved and it’s a fine ride. 114 is a good road until you get to Saguache, then it’s tedium. If I wanted to do 114, I’d probably turn around at Saguache and head back to 149. But, I’d probably skip 114 in favor of 149.

CO is a blast, have fun.

[STRaider]

What everybody else is saying about the Southwest corner of CO is spot on. You really can’t pick a bad ride. I’ll chime in about getting there.

I ride from Lubbock to CO at least twice a year. I can get to Durango or Gunnison in a day (through Taos and Chama) and I stage from one of those two cities. It’s day’s worth to be sure but entirely doable.

Going from Amarillo to Taos, consider picking up 104 out of Tucumcari (if you’re willing to exceed the speed limit). It’s a gorgeous ride and it’s a great view rolling off the high plateau into Las Vegas. Or, consider staying on the freeway past Santa Rosa and picking up 84 to Las Vegas. Lately, that’s been my choice of road, it’s not quite as scenic but it’s faster.

If you stay in Raton on the way back, you’ll be thinking about 87 Through Clayton, etc. to get back into Texas. I’d recommend against it because 87 in Dalhart is under major construction and the traffic tie up is brutal (easily over an hour of bumper to bumper stop and go). There isn’t a good way around the construction due to the railroad tracks. Consider running down 25 until you get to Springer or Wagon Mound and dropping down 39 to get back to 40.

This loop, “Durango, we could go east and take 50 to 149, and take 149 down to 160.” That route, Durango to Ouray to Montrose to Gunnison to Creede, to South Fork and back to Durango is all paved and it’s a fine ride. 114 is a good road until you get to Saguache, then it’s tedium. If I wanted to do 114, I’d probably turn around at Saguache and head back to 149. But, I’d probably skip 114 in favor of 149.

CO is a blast, have fun.

Great info and thanks for the heads up about Dalhart. I want no part of that mess. I'm sure I will make some revisions here with this info. Thanks much and Go Tech!!!!!!! I went to school there and by no small coincidence my bike is RED AND BLACK and is appropriately named RED RAIDER.

[F6Dave]

I forgot to mention traffic in Colorado. It can be bad, especially in the summer, and ski season too for that matter. Anywhere close to the big cities on the eastern side (Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Pueblo) can remind you of L.A. or Houston traffic at times. US-24 west of Colorado Springs is stop and go for miles on weekends. I-70 west of Denver can be bumper to bumper all the way to the continental divide.

The west side of the state is much better. You'll still run into motor homes holding up a dozen cars but at least you're moving, and can always stop and take pictures. The main roads (US-550, US-50, US-24, US-40 and I-70) tend to be the worst in the west. The state roads like CO-145 and CO-141 will be better.

And there's also CO-65 over the Grand Mesa. That ride is spectacular and very lightly travelled.

[Az Wingrider]

This thread has really become fun. As I said previously Colorado is one of my favorite places to ride and I go there several times a year. What is amazing is that with all the responses here you don't see that many bikes on the road. There are always other motorcycles on US-550 but most of time when you ride the other roads mentioned here you are mostly by yourself.

Enjoy the trip and ride safe

[STRaider]

What everybody else is saying about the Southwest corner of CO is spot on. You really can’t pick a bad ride. I’ll chime in about getting there.

I ride from Lubbock to CO at least twice a year. I can get to Durango or Gunnison in a day (through Taos and Chama) and I stage from one of those two cities. It’s day’s worth to be sure but entirely doable.

Going from Amarillo to Taos, consider picking up 104 out of Tucumcari (if you’re willing to exceed the speed limit). It’s a gorgeous ride and it’s a great view rolling off the high plateau into Las Vegas. Or, consider staying on the freeway past Santa Rosa and picking up 84 to Las Vegas. Lately, that’s been my choice of road, it’s not quite as scenic but it’s faster.

If you stay in Raton on the way back, you’ll be thinking about 87 Through Clayton, etc. to get back into Texas. I’d recommend against it because 87 in Dalhart is under major construction and the traffic tie up is brutal (easily over an hour of bumper to bumper stop and go). There isn’t a good way around the construction due to the railroad tracks. Consider running down 25 until you get to Springer or Wagon Mound and dropping down 39 to get back to 40.

This loop, “Durango, we could go east and take 50 to 149, and take 149 down to 160.” That route, Durango to Ouray to Montrose to Gunnison to Creede, to South Fork and back to Durango is all paved and it’s a fine ride. 114 is a good road until you get to Saguache, then it’s tedium. If I wanted to do 114, I’d probably turn around at Saguache and head back to 149. But, I’d probably skip 114 in favor of 149.

CO is a blast, have fun.

Great info and thanks for the heads up about Dalhart. I want no part of that mess. I guess that would explain why a laquinta room there is $165.00 a night. I couldn't figure out why the rooms were so high there, as I looked at staying there one night. I'm sure I will make some revisions here with this info. Thanks much and Go Tech!!!!!!! I went to school there and by no small coincidence my bike is RED AND BLACK and is appropriately named RED RAIDER.