This is the third installment in a new series where we highlight great can’t-miss routes around the world.
Denver, Colorado: Ski-area tour via Berthoud Pass and Loveland Pass
If you have never ridden in the Colorado Rockies, you are really missing out. For motorcyclists, the Rockies are a definite bucket-list destination, and the red, white, and blue version of the Alps. There are more fabulous rides in Colorado than we can shake a stick at, but we chose this one for its proximity to Denver, meaning that whether you fly in and rent a motorcycle, are passing through the state, or have ridden to CO just to tour, it’s easy to access.
This summer route visits some of Colorado’s famous ski towns along the way. Heading out of Empire (just 42 miles west of Denver off of I-70) it twists and turns over Berthoud Pass into Winter Park, then through Fraser, south past Williams Fork Reservoir, into Silverthorne. From there you take Highway 6 through Keystone and over Loveland Pass past Arapahoe Basin and then back to I-70 and Loveland Basin.
For those preparing to ride the Rockies, bring rain gear. As the local saying goes, the only thing that you can count on in the Rockies, is that the weather will change. Two of the passes on this route top out at near 12,000 feet above sea level, which means that early in the season and late in the season, snow is possible. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. The rest is up to you, get out and enjoy some of the most fantastic riding in the world.
.png)
