If you’re a road trip lover like us, Denver is the perfect basecamp for epic weekend road trips. Living here, we’re lucky to have some of the most stunning landscapes, national parks, and hidden gems within driving distance. Whether you’re craving mountain hikes, desert views, or scenic drives, we’ve put together a list of 5 epic weekend road trips from Denver.
1. Moab, Utah
Distance from Denver: Approximately 5 hours, 350 miles
Moab, Utah is an outdoor adventurer’s paradise. From world-class hiking and offroading trails, and unique desert landscapes, there’s tons of activities to choose from. Since moving to Denver, we’ve been to Moab for a weekend road trip countless times and we have plans to get back soon. Be sure to read our full 3 day weekend itinerary.
Things to do in Moab, Utah
Arches National Park: There’s so much to do in Arches National Park! Keep in mind you need reservations to visit between April and October. Some of our favorite hikes are Delicate Arch, Double O Arch, and The Windows and Turret Loop.
Canyonlands National Park: We think Canyonlands National Park is super undderated. From offroading the Shafer Trail to sunrise at the iconic Mesa Arch, this park is full of unique landscapes and adventures. Check out our guide on how to shoot sunrise at Mesa Arch, one of the most photographed sunrise spots in the US!
Dead Horse Point State Park: This park is home to stunning landscapes, trails, and viewpoints. It’s also much less crowded than the nearby National Parks. Since the epic viewpoints require minimal hiking, this is an amazing park for sunrise photography.
Rent tubes and float the Colorado River: this is one of the funnest things we’ve done in Moab! We rented tubes from Canyonlands by Night and floated down the Colorado River for about three hours. The tour company has a shuttle that will drop you off downstream and then you’ll float back to their base. Make sure to bring a cooler with drinks and snacks for a relaxing float! It was HOT during the summer so come prepared with hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and sun gear.
2. Custer State Park, South Dakota
Distance from Denver: Approximately 6-7 hours, 400 miles
Custer State Park is such a gem. We thought the views were National Park worthy and were absolutely blown away by everything there is to do at this park! You could spend a full week or just one busy day in Custer State Park. We spent a day and a half on our weekend road trip from Denver because we also visited the national parks in South Dakota that weekend! You can see our busy South Dakota weekend itinerary here.
Things to do at Custer State Park
Sylvan Lake: this picturesque lake is a photographer’s dream. The unique rock formations are worth seeing any time of day, but early in the morning, you might get lucky and get treated to amazing reflections and fog like we did!
Hike Black Elk Peak: the trail to the tallest peak in South Dakota is extremely underrated. This 7 mile moderate hike has amazing views the whole way and ends at a unique fire lookout made of stone. The trailhead starts right next to Sylvan Lake so we would recommend visiting Sylvan Lake and then hiking to the peak.
Go for a scenic drives: The Wildlife Loop takes about 45 minutes and you can see bison and the begging burrows. Dawn and dusk are the best times to see wildlife. Another beautiful scenic drive is The Needles Highway that winds through granite spires and features several small one-car tunnels that make great photo opportunities.
Hike the Cathedral Spires Trail: this short trail features unique rock spires and is one of the most popular in the park for a reason. We went just before sunset for some gorgeous light!
3. Ouray, Colorado
Approximately 6-7 hours, 350 miles
Ouray, Colorado is known as the “Switzerland of America” and is home to some of the most beautiful views in Colorado. Alpine lakes, charming mountain towns, unique red mountains, and world-class off–roading trails make Ouray one of our favorite weekend road trips from Denver.
Things to do in Ouray, Colorado
Ouray Hot Springs: Ouray Hot Springs is fed by natural hot springs that flow from the surrounding mountains. The water is rich in minerals and there are multiple pools. The view from the water is stunning. A day pass costs $39 and can be purchased upon arrival.
Go on a hike
Box Canon Falls: This attraction is suitable for all fitness levels and ages and this short trail has a big reward for your efforts! Entry is $5/person and there are several short trails. The waterfall and gorge are only about a 0.5 mile walk from the parking lot. The area is also accessible during the winter.
Hike to an Alpine Lake: There’s several incredible alpine lake trails in the area. Blue Lakes is our favorite, but it’s a strenuous requires a lot of research and preparation prior to hiking. Reservations are going to be required starting in 2026. There are many other alpine lake trails to choose from on AllTrails.
Ouray Perimeter Trail: This trail is a scenic loop that encircles the town of Ouray and has incredible views from so many different perspectives. We actually snowshoed part of the trail during the winter and it was a real life winter wonderland. The entire trail is 6.5 miles with 1,600 feet of elevation gain, but there are several access points around the town, so you can do as much of the trail as you’d like.
Go on a scenic drive
Go offroading: There are tons of world-class trails in the area, but make sure you research the trail conditions and difficulty as some of them are quite difficult. Some of our favorite offroading trails in the area are Corkscrew Gulch and Ophir Pass.
Drive the Million Dollar Highway: The Million Dollar Highway runs from Ouray to Silverton and is one of Colorado’s most scenic drives! This road is basically a choose your own adventure because of how many hikes, viewpoints, campsites, and off-roading trails are along the drive. You could spend days exploring places along this beautiful highway alone!
4. Glenwood Springs, Colorado
Glenwood Spring is the shortest on this list of weekend road trips from Denver! We’ve actually done it as a day trip; however, we would definitely recommend it as a weekend road trip since there’s so much to do. Glenwood Springs is a great year round destination as well as we’ve visited in summer, spring, and winter and found plenty to do in each season.
Distance from Denver: Approximately 2-3 hours, 160 miles
Things to do in Glenwood Springs, Colorado
Iron Mountain Hot Springs: Iron Mountain Hot Springs is $40 for a three hour soak or $100 for an all day pass. WorldSprings is the adults-only section of Iron Mountain Hot Springs is a $15 upgrade from a traditional ticket. We highly recommend upgrading to include WorldSprings so you have access to all 32 pools! Mineral formulas from many countries around the world are featured on rotation with varying temperatures. There’s even a 55 degree cold plunge! Iron Mountain Hot Springs has 2 cafes with food & drinks.
Hanging Lake Trail: One of Colorados’ most popular hikes, for a good reason. This short, but very steep trail is absolutely stunning. The trail requires an advance parking reservation that costs $12/person. Please remember to respect the environment, stay on the trail, and leave no trace! This area is extremely fragile due to recent wildfire and mudslides and this is one of the most popular hikes in Colorado. No dogs, fishing, swimming, or drones allowed. Be sure to properly research before your hike because winter conditions can be very different! The Hanging Lake Trail is closed for restoration summer 2024.
Explore downtown: Quaint downtown Glenwood Springs is home to unique vintage shops, tasty restaurants, and charming historic buildings. We recommend Smoothe Bistro for a healthy lunch and amazing smoothies!
5. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Distance from Denver: Approximately 8-9 hours, 550 miles
Grand Teton is one of our favorite National Parks. It has some of our favorite hiking trails in the US, breathtaking lakes, and countless scenic viewpoints. Grand Teton national Park is the farthest on this list of weekend road trips from Denver, so we’d recommended doing it over a long weekend since there’s many long hikes! You can check out our 3 day itinerary here. Be sure to bring bear spray as grizzly bears are common at Grand Teton National Park!
Things to do at Grand Teton National Park
Taggart Lake Trail: This is such an incredible hike for how short it is. It’s only 3 miles with minimal elevation, but it’s beautiful the whole way and ends at one of the most stunning lakes at Grand Teton National Park. We would recommend doing the trail early in the morning, since it’s a popular trail. We also thought the lighting was much better in the morning compared to when we did it for sunset.
Jenny Lake Boat Ride and Cascade Canyon Trail: The trail is around 10 miles, but you can take the Jenny Lake Boat Shuttle to the trailhead! It’s $20/person round trip. Taking the boat shuttle across Jenny Lake isn’t necessary, but you’ll have to hike the additional 2 miles each way from the Jenny Lake parking lot to the Cascade Canyon Trailhead, resulting in a 14 mile hike. This is a popular hike, so start early and be aware there may be a line for the boat shuttle. We thought the first 3-4 miles of the trail were the prettiest, so you could turn around without doing the whole thing if you wanted
Delta Lake: Delta Lake used to be a hidden gem, but it’s now become one of the most popular day hikes in the park. It’s a tough, long 9 mile hike that is unmaintained for the last part. However you’ll be rewarded with one of the most stunning alpine lakes we’ve seen! We highly recommend downloading offline trail maps as there are a few boulder fields that can be hard to navigate. Weather can also be unpredictable so be sure to bring warm layers for the lake.
