Feedback on my Colorado - New Mexico - Arizona road trip

Hi everyone,

Let me introduce myself. I’m 45 and traveling with my husband and my daughter, who’ll be 17 soon. We’re used to road-trip-style vacations, in the US or elsewhere. This will be our 5th trip to the US. We’ve already visited several states: New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Washington DC, Florida, Wyoming, South Dakota, California, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. I’d like to plan another trip starting from Denver to Colorado and New Mexico, which we haven’t explored yet, with a stop in a part of Arizona we haven’t visited before. So, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this itinerary if you’re familiar with the area. We’ll be traveling in the summer of 2026—admittedly not the best time for this route, but it’s the only time we can all get away for long enough. I’m also tied to the dates for Cheyenne Frontier Days, which we want to attend at the start of the trip. Thanks in advance for your input!

Day 1: Departure from Frankfurt > Arrival in Denver around 3 PM. Night in Denver

Day 2: Denver > Cheyenne Quick visit to Denver Drive to Cheyenne in the late afternoon 2-hour drive Night in Cheyenne Day 3: Cheyenne Frontier Days Night in Cheyenne

Day 4: Cheyenne > Estes Park (Rocky Mountains) Frontier Days during the day. Departure in the late afternoon for Estes Park 2-hour drive Night in Estes Park

Day 5: Hiking in the Rocky Mountains Nights in Estes Park

Day 6: Estes Park > Glenwood Springs We’ll take the day to drive the scenic route and stop at various viewpoints. Night in Glenwood Springs

Day 7: Glenwood Springs Hiking the Hanging Lake Trail + relaxing in the hot springs Night in Glenwood Springs

Day 8: Glenwood Springs > Montrose Visit Colorado NM along the way 3.5-hour drive Night in Montrose

Day 9: Black Canyon Night in Montrose

Day 10: Montrose > Farmington Visit Durango (without taking the train), Ouray, or Silverton along the way? 3.5-hour drive Night in Farmington

Day 11: Farmington > Chinle Bisti Badlands until early afternoon 3-hour drive Night in Chinle

Day 12: Chinle > Sedona Canyon de Chelly in the morning 4-hour drive Night in Sedona

Day 13 - 14: Hiking in Sedona Nights in Sedona

Day 15: Sedona > Tucson Saguaro West Park 3.5-hour drive Night at a ranch in Tucson

Day 16 - 17: Tucson City visit in the morning + ranch activities in the afternoon Nights at a ranch in Tucson

Day 18: > Wilcox Chiricahua NP 1-hour drive Night in Wilcox

Day 19: Wilcox > Alamogordo White Sands in the late afternoon 4.5-hour drive Night in Alamogordo

Day 20: Alamogordo > Carlsbad White Sands in the morning Bat viewing in the evening at Carlsbad 4.5-hour drive Night in Carlsbad

Day 21: Carlsbad > Albuquerque Cave visit in the morning Quick stop in Roswell 4.25-hour drive Night in Albuquerque Day 22: Albuquerque > Santa Fe Visit Albuquerque 1-hour drive Night in Santa Fe

Day 23: Santa Fe Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks in the morning Visit Santa Fe in the afternoon Night in Santa Fe

Day 24: Santa Fe Bandelier in the morning Visit Santa Fe in the afternoon Night in Santa Fe

Day 25: Santa Fe > Alamosa Taos Pueblo along the way Great Sand Dunes in the late afternoon Zapata Falls Night in Alamosa

Day 26: Alamosa > Denver 4-hour drive Departure around 7 PM

Looking forward to your suggestions, corrections, and feedback!

I only know part of your itinerary starting from Day 15.

On Day 12, I didn’t really enjoy Canyon de Chelly that much. It seems you need to take an organized 4x4 tour to truly appreciate it, which isn’t my thing. However, your West USA experience doesn’t mention it, but from Canyon de Chelly, you’re not too far from Monument Valley—a must-see—along with nearby Valley of the Gods, which is way less touristy.

For Day 16, instead of visiting Tucson (which is of limited interest, aside from a fantastic aviation museum—if you’re into that, which I am!), I’d check out the Sonora Desert "Museum" (more like a zoo, but one that respects the animals).

Days 17/18: Between Tucson and Wilcox, aren’t you taking the classic detour to Tombstone and Bisbee? It’s touristy, sure, but still interesting.

Day 22: Did I miss something? I don’t recall there being much to see in Albuquerque. Two hours in the historic center was enough for us. Could you gain a day for other visits?

Day 25: Personally, I like to get closer to the return airport on the last day to avoid any road hiccups. Your day is packed, but if it were me, I’d start heading toward Denver. Maybe stop near Colorado Springs and take one last little stroll in the area the next morning/afternoon?

I only know part of your itinerary starting from Day 15.

On Day 12, I didn’t really like Canyon de Chelly all that much. It seems you need to take an organized 4x4 tour to truly appreciate it, which isn’t my thing. But, since your West USA experience doesn’t mention it, from Canyon de Chelly you’re not too far from Monument Valley—a must-see—along with nearby Valley of the Gods, which is way less touristy.

Thanks for your feedback. I included Canyon de Chelly to break up the drive and visit a park I hadn’t seen before. I’ve already been to Monument Valley and loved it. I even considered going back there at first, but then I thought it’d be a shame not to visit somewhere new... So now I’m wondering 😎

For Day 16, instead of visiting Tucson—which is of limited interest (aside from a great aviation museum, if you’re into that—and I am!), I’d check out the Sonora Desert "Museum" (more like a zoo, but one that respects the animals).

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll look into it. My stay in Tucson will mostly focus on activities at the ranch where we’re staying. We’ll explore the area for a few hours during the day, but it’ll be pretty chill for this part of the trip.

Days 17/18: Between Tucson and Wilcox, aren’t you taking the classic detour to Tombstone and Bisbee? It’s touristy, sure, but still interesting.

I’d seen it but got mixed reviews, so I was on the fence about the detour 🙂

Day 22: Did I miss something? I don’t recall there being much to see in Albuquerque. Two hours in the historic center was enough for us. A whole day to spare for other visits?

I hesitated too. I thought it’d be a shame to drive by without stopping (plus, I loved *Breaking Bad* ;-)), but if it’s not worth it, why not use that day for Day 25 instead?

Day 25: Personally, I like to spend the last day getting closer to the return airport to avoid any road surprises. Your day is packed, but if it were me, I’d start heading toward Denver. Maybe a stop in Colorado Springs and a final little stroll in the area the next morning/afternoon?

I know the last day is risky, but since I can’t add another day, I went with this setup... So if I skip Albuquerque, maybe I can spend one night in Colorado Springs.

Thanks so much for your input!

I don’t have much feedback on this part of the USA.

What I really liked about Tombstone and Bisbee is that, despite the touristy side, there’s an interesting reenactment of life back in the day. Especially (and surprisingly!) at the Tombstone cemetery, where the staff at the welcome desk teach you about the lives of its "residents"—including the hardships of those who came seeking happiness but found only exploitation in the ranches and saloons.

I’m not sure which route you’re planning to take to Roswell (which I don’t know much about). But in the same vein, there’s the small town of Lincoln, famous for Billy the Kid’s last stand—he was sentenced to death but escaped from jail after killing the sheriff and his deputy. They’ve recreated some of the historic houses. We stumbled upon it kind of by accident. Nothing extraordinary, but it might be worth a small detour.

+1 for Tombstone and Bisbee!!

Sure, it's touristy, Tombstone can feel a bit like an amusement park when it's crowded, but it's fun... and there are often events happening there....

Bisbee is more hipster, with people who actually live there...

And if you go a little further south, you can see the border with its Trump-era wall... pretty impressive...

Roswell isn’t great—just a bunch of kinda musty shops with the alien in every possible form... It’s basically an army base, really.

Thanks Dennis2 for your feedback.

Given the unanimous response 😛, I’ll look into how to fit Tombstone +/- Bisbee into the trip

Good evening! I passed through a few spots on your upcoming route (but in October).

Day 8: Colorado NM is an underrated park, in my opinion. Don’t hesitate to do a few hikes—there are several that aren’t too long.

Day 9: Black Canyon (see photo) didn’t wow me; in fact, we were the only ones there during the visit. So, was it worth the whole day? In Montrose, Colorado Boy Pizzeria & Brewery has a great vibe and good food (not just pizza).

Day 10: Ouray and Silverton can be explored quickly—everything’s on Main Street. Skipping the train in Durango is a shame (photo), and the town itself is really nice.

Day 13: Sedona—plan your movements carefully. Several trailheads are only accessible by shuttle.

Day 22: Albuquerque and Santa Fe—I only found the Old Town districts interesting. I’d do Albuquerque in the morning and Santa Fe in the afternoon.

Day 23: The Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks loop is a fantastic hike.

Denver: It’s a pity not to visit downtown and the buildings around the Capitol.

Happy planning!

I had a fantastic time at Canyon de Chelly this year, whereas the first time I went, I wasn’t really into it. Goes to show you should always give places another try. And you don’t need a 4x4 tour. There’s a really nice little hike starting at White House Ruins that lets you descend into the canyon. I’d definitely recommend adding it back to your next trip. 😉

I actually did this trip, but I think I’m just not into this kind of landscape. Mesa Verde, which I tried to revisit this summer to avoid ending on a disappointment, left us just as indifferent as the first time.

I actually did that hike, but I think I’m just not into that kind of landscape. We tried Mesa Verde again this summer to avoid ending on a disappointment, but it left us just as indifferent as the first time.

Hey, I’m heading to Mesa Verde soon—could you tell me why you didn’t like it?

Yeah, I get that everyone experiences places differently. I loved my visit to Canyon de Chelly this year. I have to admit Mesa Verde never really appealed to me. It’s missing that canyon feel...

I think this must be the less spectacular side that we’re used to seeing in parks in general... Personally, I’m getting more and more into things that happen away from the big parks because there are fewer tourists. So I think Mesa Verde will be on the itinerary for my next road trip. I’d love to hear your feedback!

OK, I’ll post a quick update. But not about hikes, sorry—that’s not my thing…

Hello, I’m heading to Mesa Verde soon—could you tell me why you didn’t like it?

We didn’t enjoy it because there isn’t much to see. The landscapes are just okay compared to everything else you can see on this kind of route (though there are a few nice viewpoints). Spruce Tree is no longer open for visits. When we were there, the road to Wetherill Mesa was closed. That said, during a previous visit (yes, I went back because I didn’t want to leave with a bad impression after already not loving it the first time!), we still found it pretty underwhelming. By chance, we followed a guided tour group at different spots (in English, but that’s fine for us). It was interesting to learn a bit about the history and way of life of the people who lived there, but without that, it’s pretty dull with little explanation given at the different sites. Also, the hotel options in Cortez aren’t great and they’re expensive. For all these reasons—and because it’s out of the way—I didn’t think the detour was worth it.

If you do go, book Cliff Palace as soon as tickets open (14 days in advance), and if you can, reserve the first tour of the day so you can take photos without the group ahead of you—it’s a bit of a conveyor belt! The only downside is that it’s a good hour’s drive from Cortez, so you’ll have to get up early!

Thanks for your feedback!

Actually, I’m planning to go next week—I’m already in the US—but I haven’t booked a hotel in Cortez yet. I did see the Retro Inn, which looks fun, around $100.

Anyway, I looked into it more, and it seems Whetherill Road is still closed.

Do you know if we can go off-road in this park, or is it all paved?

Anyway, I’m still hesitating after your message.

No, there are no dirt tracks on the site. Just paved roads that loop around the points of interest.

Worth visiting or not? Maybe you should make up your own mind, but you won’t know until you’ve been! My disappointment came from: 1) A site that was only moderately interesting, especially with part of it closed 2) A park that’s way off the beaten path, and I’d have preferred to spend the day “lost” somewhere else 3) A crappy hotel (though that wasn’t the case the last time, even though we still weren’t blown away by the site).

Well, we'll see depending on the route we take whether we do it or not!

But thanks again for the info about that road closure in the park—it’ll help with the decision.

One thing’s for sure: I’m definitely hitting Chaco Historical Park and those dozens of kilometers of dirt roads to get there. The rental company gave me a big 4x4 instead of the SUV I’d booked, so might as well put it to use!

I’ll post a little trip report when I’m back, covering the standout spots—or the disappointing ones.

That sounds great, keep us posted!

Here’s the account of my visit to Bandelier during my 2018 trip. Make sure to arrive early to avoid waiting for the shuttles and standing in line. I’m also sharing the link to my travel journal with photos, which might be similar to yours. Happy planning!

Sunday, September 23rd We got up early again this morning to arrive at the entrance of Bandelier National Monument before 8:30 AM and skip the shuttle. Breakfast was served starting at 7:30 AM at the Sandia Peak Inn, but the receptionist had given us some items the night before—including tea—so we could have breakfast in our room before leaving. We really appreciated that. We partly retraced the route from the day before, which had taken us to Tent Rock, then switched directions for Bandelier. There were plenty of signs pointing to parking areas for the shuttles, but we ignored them and arrived at the Visitor Center before 8:30 AM—still closed. The place was very quiet, with few cars in the parking lot, and the park felt like it was all ours. We set off into the woods for the Main Loop Trail, which took us from Kivas to circular villages and finally to the cliff dwellings. The weather was pleasant, the sun was rising, but the light wasn’t quite right for photos yet. We were almost alone—just one couple had passed before us. What a joy to explore this place like this! It felt different and even more moving than Mesa Verde.

https://voyageforum.com/forum/troisieme-voyage-dans-southwest-americain-arizona-sud-colorado-nouveau-mexique-d9188837-1/