This month, my friends and I decided to dodge plane tickets and take on an ultimate road trip to Colorado.
We began our adventure in sunny and humid San Diego, with the end goal of reaching still sunny, but not so humid, Vail, Colorado.
Our time consisted of lots of mountaintop views, wildlife sightings, and cold bodies of water to jump into.
In this article, I’ll take you through the different stops we made on our trip so that you can have a similar experience.
Plus, I’ll throw in a few insider tips that I learned along the way.
Prepping For the Trip
Planning a week-long trip with five college students that are on a budget is pretty daunting, but it’s not as bad as it seems if you aren’t afraid to rough it.
We decided early on that we were going to camp for most of the trip because Colorado has an abundance of dirt roads with free camping spots alongside them.
Apart from camping, we booked two nights at hotels, one on the first and the other on the last day of our trip, to help us split up the 15-hour drive.
Since we chose the camping route, packing for the trip consisted of various clothes, a big tent to fit us all, sleeping bags, mats, a stovetop, cooler, and propane.
Depending on how dedicated you are to roughing it, your list may vary.
First Stop: Zion National Park
On our first day of travel, we noticed that the freeway we were taking went right alongside Zion National Park.
So, like any group without a solid plan who had never experienced Zion, we took a slight detour.
Although we didn’t go all the way into the park, because it would’ve added an extra hour to our trip, we thought it would be a perfect place to stretch our legs.
We went to a few shops within the town to get some local insight and discovered there was a park down the street with access to the Virgin River that they said was safe enough for us to jump into.
We headed over, dunked our heads, and got back on the road.
Although our visit to Zion was short-lived, you can extend your time there and explore more depending on how much time you have available.
A few of Zion’s most popular hikes include:
Second Stop: Piney Lake
On our second day of travel, we crossed into Colorado and went grocery shopping for the next four days and three nights.
From there, we made our way to Piney Lake Road, a windy dirt path with lots of free camping and best of all, no service!
We drove for about 45 minutes on this road until we reached a large pull-out with four different sites that lay right alongside a creek and a short walk from the lake.
If you want to be in close proximity to the lake, drive up early in the morning to claim your spot, as it is first come first serve.
Activities to do at Piney Lake
Fish
Piney Lake is filled with many different species of trout that are constantly biting.
Throughout our time there, our group caught and released over twenty fish using a fly rod and traditional fishing rod.
Photo: Olivia Roberts
If you are planning to fish, make sure you are licensed and bring all your own equipment because the store located on the lake does not offer fishing rentals.
Paddleboard / Canoe
Another one of the biggest hits at Piney Lake is their watercraft rentals.
You can paddle and explore all around the lake and back through windy marshes.
Rentals at the lake cost $40 an hour, but you can also bring your own watercraft and save some money, like we did!
Hike
On our last full day at the lake, we took the Upper Piney River Falls Trail to see a waterfall made from snow runoff.
Although the water was numbingly cold, we figured a once-in-a-lifetime dip in the waterfall wouldn’t hurt. The cold water did actually burn a little bit, but any of us would say it was worth it.
The hike is a total of six miles in elevation, so make sure you pack lots of drinkable water.
Camp
Last but not least, simply camp.
Photo: Olivia Roberts
Enjoy the natural sounds of the creek and wind blowing through the leaves on trees.
Look up at the bright stars around the campfire and count how many you can see shoot.
Nights spent looking up were our favorites!
Third Stop: Shrine Ridge Pass
After Piney Lake, we made our way to the Shrine Ridge Pass, where we would be camping for another two nights.
This pass is another road with beautiful views all along the way to set up camp.
Photo: Olivia Roberts
There are a few dirt spots where you can build fires, but we wanted to be further away from other campers, so we picked an empty field to have to ourselves.
Things to do on Shrine Pass:
Hike
We spent our only full day hiking the Shrine Ridge Trail which is 4.3 miles total. Near the top of the hike, there were some boulders that we decided to scale to get to a wide-open field that peeked over the trees.
If you’ve ever seen the movie, The Sound of Music, we were running around trying to recreate the opening scene.
Hammock
Shrine Ridge pass is surrounded by lush trees, perfect to tie up your hammock. Across the road from our tent, people picked the perfect spot between two trees and along the creek. You can lay down, read, and enjoy the beauty of no cell service.
Photo: Olivia Roberts
Cook With a View
Whether it’s right outside your tent or a short drive to a lookout spot, Shrine Ridge Pass has an abundance of views that you can pull your car right up to. If you have a portable stove, this road is perfect for cooking dinner along and enjoy a meal with friends.
Drive Into Town
Shrine Ridge Pass is a short drive away from the neighboring towns, so it is simply a good alternative to paying for a hotel room.
Fourth Stop: Noah’s Ark Whitewater Rafting
Our last adventure of the trip was to go whitewater rafting on one of the more challenging sections of the Arkansas River called Numbers.
This section consists of class 4+ rapids.
Since we went in the summertime, the water level was lower and a bit more manageable, but a few rapids definitely spiked our adrenaline.
During our time rafting on the numbers, we navigated a few large rocks, mastered a 6 ft drop, dunked in a calm part of the river, and jumped through a random hole in a rock that our guides showed us.
Although rafting can be on the pricey end for a budget friendly trip, this was the one splurge we all would willingly make again! Our tour guides, Rob and Kami, made sure the experience was as fun and as safe as possible.
After this stop, we rewarded ourselves with a night in a hotel before driving all the way back to San Diego the next morning!
The Ultimate Colorado Road Trip
A road trip to the mountains of Colorado is the perfect way to escape and get unplugged. No matter how simple or extravagant you make your plans, I promise that these views aren’t ones you’re going to forget.
So grab your friends, a car, and get driving!
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