Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Peak to Peak Hwy
ยป
Mileage: 55 miles
Why Go?
The Peak to Peak Hwy is one of Colorado's most scenic drives and an excellent option for
the trip between Rocky Mountain National Park and Denver or Boulder. This north-south
route takes you past a series of breathtaking mountains, including the 14,255ft Longs Peak,
alpine valleys and open meadows, passing one-horse towns along the way.
The Route
You can start in Estes Park, near Rocky Mountain National Park, and head south to Neder-
land, just west of Boulder, or do the route in reverse. Along the way are little mountain
hamlets. These include Ward, a former boom town and bohemian magnet that has settled
into an artfully ramshackle state of disrepair; Peaceful Valley, notable for its little onion-
domed church perched on a hillside; and several other tiny towns with expansive mountain
vistas.
There are national forest campgrounds near Peaceful Valley and Allenspark, as well as
the Longs Peak Campground, part of Rocky Mountain National Park. There are also places
to stay in Peaceful Valley, Ferncliff, Allenspark and south of Estes Park, mostly in the form
of lodges, cabins and B&Bs. Before arriving in Nederland there's access to excellent hiking
in the Indian Peaks Wilderness via Brainard Lake.
At the southern end of the trip, the Peak to Peak Hwy starts from Nederland, Boulder's
hippie holdout with a few cool cafes. Although most of the route - everything north of Al-
lenspark - follows Hwy 7, at Nederland it follows Hwy 72.
