Epic Road Trip to Colorado in November

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Have you been road tripping to Colorado in November?

All this time we went in the summer, and who doesn’t fall in love with Colorado outdoors in the summer, right?

Last year we decided to go to Colorado in November during Thanksgiving Break. We have friends who live in Lone Tree – about 24 miles to the south of Denver – who turned their bedrooms in the basement to an Airbnb. That’s where we were based for the trip to Colorado in November. Go check their place and book the room for your next trip to Colorado. They also have a tiny house in the backyard if you prefer more privacy.

Colorado weather in November

Just like when we went to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for Christmas holidays, we also monitored the weather in Denver, Colorado prior to our road trip. Even though my husband was born and grew up in Pennsylvania, and stayed for several years in Wyoming, this trip to Colorado in November was his first. And we have lived in Texas for more than 20 years, so trips with possible ice or snow on the road always concern him.

In most years, the average high temperature for November in the Denver area is between 47 and 58 degrees Fahrenheit (8 to 14 degrees Celsius). The average low falls between 22 and 28 F (-6 to -2 C.) The days at Denver cool most rapidly during November, and on most nights the temperature drops to below freezing. Typically the city has an inch (2.5 cm) of snow on the ground for 6 days in this month.

But it was different when we visited Colorado in November 2019.

Road Trip to Colorado in November

About a week before we left for Colorado, they started to get snow but it was melted a couple of days later. Averaged high temperature played in the mid-50s, and low was around 32 (Fahrenheit.) My son and I were hoping for snow when we were there, but not my husband.

For this road trip to Colorado in November, we didn’t try to cover a lot of places in one day like we normally did. We just went to one place or did one thing in one day. I think November mood played an important role in it.

Also, we spent a night in Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle before we crossed New Mexico to Colorado. As most of you know, we travel with our dog Snoopy and he hasn’t been to Amarillo yet. We drove through Amarillo in the summer on our way to Albuquerque, but we didn’t make any stop at the 3 must-see attractions in Amarillo at that time. Then the next morning we hiked the Lighthouse Trail in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. A different experience of hiking the most famous trail in the park compared to summer or spring times.

Day 1 – Sunday – Pueblo, Colorado

On this trip, we also met our friend who moved to Colorado City from Weatherford, Texas. Originally we would stop at their place but because of the muddy road condition from the melted snow a few days ago, we decided to have supper somewhere in Pueblo. They didn’t think our minivan would survive the drive to their place. Besides, there’s no street lights on the way to their property.

It was the right decision, too, since it got dark early in the mountain. That day the road was slippery, and we saw 3 cars wrecked on the side of the highway already.

Pueblo is famous for its Riverwalk, and there’s a Nature and Raptor Center that provides pleasant hiking along the river and houses rescued wild birds such as owls and eagles. The city is also famous for its Mexican food. Pueblo farmers grow their own variety of green chile, made into a savory stew and all kinds of food. If you get to visit the city in the fall, make sure you are there during Chile & Frijoles Festival, the celebration of harvest and the city’s Hispanic heritage.

We have spent a night in Pueblo before. It is located about 2 hours drive to the south of Denver.

Day 2 – Monday – Pueblo to Lone Tree

Driving distance from Pueblo to Lone Tree is about 1.5 hours, but first, we turned west to Canon City. We went to Canon City in the summertime and beginning of fall, so we wanted to know how the city was at this time of year. Less than an hour drive later, we arrived in the city.

Canon City looked so quiet, there weren’t too many people on the street. There were no cars and lines in the Royal Gorge Train Station, the Museum of Colorado Prisons apparently didn’t open on Monday, and the Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center was also closed. The ones opened were fast food restaurants and a few cafes. But everything looked pretty much the same like the last time we went there seven years ago.

We parked around downtown and walked around. There were colorful dinosaur statues on the street sidewalks which made cute pictures. When we walked to Canon City Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center, a couple of people there told us that not much to do in Canon City during Thanksgiving Break. The train only works for certain days during the holiday season. They told us to do the Skyline Drive that we have done at least four times in the past.

Skyline Drive is one of the best things to do when you are visiting Canon City. One of Colorado’s most beautiful scenic drives, it spans 2.6 miles throughout Canon City and the Fremont County region. The drive was constructed following the route of a high razorback ridge, accessible via US Highway 50. It is not for the faint of heart.

After they told us that a snow storm was coming towards our destination, we left through Phantom Canyon Road, the Gold Belt Tour that connects the city of Florence near Canon City in the south to Victor in the north. We have drove through this road a few times as well, but it was our first time to drive there when we visited Colorado in November.

Phantom Canyon Road is one of the most scenic and historic drives in Colorado. You will drive on a gravel road where you will see steel bridges and tunnels along the road. In some areas the road is narrow, where you have to slow down and sometimes share the road with others who come from the opposite direction. This 30 miles route increases in elevation from 5,500 feet to 9,500 feet. It follows the route of the Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad built in 1894 as a connection from Florence to the goldfields of Cripple Creek and Victor. Do this scenic and historic drive when you are visiting south-central Colorado. Again, it is not for a faint of heart, just like The Skyline Road in Canon City. And if you are not sure about driving on this road with snow on the ground, don’t do it!

In the beginning of the road, we saw spotted leftover snow on the sides of the road. We stopped so Snoopy could get his first experience on the snow. He didn’t seem too happy though. Maybe because the weather was also cold.

After the first tunnel, the gravel road was clean from snow, but it’s different after the second tunnel. Snow was on the road, and steep drop offs started to appear on the left side of the road. Towards the steel bridge, snow disappeared again from the gravel road. After the bridge the road got narrow with some sections that are only one car wide. Then suddenly the road was covered with snow and it got thicker towards Victor. We couldn’t see the side of the road, so I asked my husband to drive in the middle. Sitting on the passenger seat made me a little nervous. It felt a relief once we arrived in Victor.

Victor – the City of Gold Mines – is located at nearly 10,000 elevation feet on the southwest side of Pikes Peak, in the Cripple Creek Victor Mining District. It is designated a National Historic District where remnants of old gold mines can be found all over town. The city’s setting is like the 1890’s mine structures with turn-of-the-century buildings that houses businesses like unique shops and restaurants, hotels, and offices. Victor is a small city where you can find museums and hiking trails as well.

One time we arrived here in the late afternoon, so we spent a night at Victor Hotel. An old, small four-story hotel where they said the elevator is haunted. It worked well the day we arrived, but it just moved up and down the next day. The door never opened and there’s nothing wrong with the elevator. So, we took our son there to show him inside of the hotel. He wasn’t born when we stayed there.

Snow was on the ground, and the road was a bit slippery when we were in Victor. If you like the history and the charm of old mine towns, you must visit Victor. You can come for a day or half-day visit, or spend a night like we did.

Next bigger town is Cripple Creek, another gold-mine town that turned into a gaming town. The main street is full with casinos and it’s also the starting point of Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad. A scenic 45 minutes train ride that only opens from mid-May to Labor Day. It’s a beautiful ride on a steam engine that you must do when visiting in the summer.

While driving through Cripple Creek, we thought about doing the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine Tours, but they were closed. Apparently they only open from early April to late October. We did the tour in the summer before our son was born, so I guess we have to plan another visit to Cripple Creek.

Snow started to fall as we continued the drive to Lone Tree. We drove through Colorado Springs, but we didn’t make any stop since we wanted to get there before the snow storm arrived. We’re not sure how bad it’s going to be, so playing safe was our best choice.

Before we got to our friends’ place, we stopped at a supermarket. People were stocked up on basic kitchen needs, but they didn’t look panic like North Texan when the weather guy said there would be an inch of snow on the ground – for next week. Haha..

Day 3 – Tuesday – Lone Tree

We woke up to more than a foot of snow in the morning. I saw that my friend’s husband was shoveling snow on the driveway. Poor Snoopy didn’t know what to do with his morning routine. Snow was up to his belly, he couldn’t find grass, and he finally did it while standing up with his butt on the snow.

When my son woke up, I told him to look through the window. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Everything was white! He put on his jacket and went outside playing in the snow. Snow was up to his thighs, it made him hard to move. He just threw his body to the back and laughed. It’s our first time to see snow that high. The highest we got in North Texas was 6 inches and it was years ago.

We spent the whole morning talking while listening to the news. Businesses were closed, people were staying home. Apparently it’s the first snow storm that dumped heavy snow to Colorado in November since 1994. Hundreds of flights were canceled out of Denver International Airport. The Weather Channel named this system Winter Storm Dorothy.

In the afternoon, we went out to buy supper. The city hasn’t plowed the road in the neighborhood, but they did the main roads. Everywhere we went was white and it was really cold, too. We didn’t stay outside long and wondered whether we could go somewhere the whole time we were there.

Day 4 – Wednesday – Lone Tree to Estes Park

Our plan for today was visiting Estes Park, and from the news we saw that they have plowed the road to the city. Outside, the city of Lone Tree has plowed the road, too. So, we’re good to go.

There weren’t too many cars on the road. I guess people chose to stay inside, preparing food for the Thanksgiving Feast the next day.

We drove through Boulder who got more snow than the Denver area. Slushy roads on main street were really ugly, and there was lots of traffic. It felt good when we finally left the city.

From Lyons to Estes Park the view was breathtaking! Inches of fresh snow blanketed the ground all the way to the top of the mountains. Pine trees looked pretty with 3-4 inches of snow on their needles. The road was clean from snow, and we saw something new for us. Cars covered with snow on the side of the road. I wonder when they would get to tow the cars.

When we almost reached Estes Park, the road was not as smooth as in the beginning. Ice started to build, so my husband had to drive extra carefully. We stopped at Colorado Cherry Company for a pit stop, where people were lined up to pick up their pies order. The pies looked delicious, but I saved it for our next trip to Estes Park. It wasn’t our first and last trip to Estes Park anyway.

Lake Estes’ surfaces  looked frozen and it gave a beautiful view. We drove straight to Stanley Hotel, the hotel that inspired Stephen King to write The Shining. The hotel ground covered with inches of snow, made it look even beautiful. We didn’t have to pay to get into the hotel ground like when we visited a year before during summer holiday.

With more than a foot of snow on the ground, what’s better than our son reenacted Danny Torrance ran away from his father on the hotel hedge maze? It was really perfect, even me playing Wendy Torrance where my husband and Snoopy tried to help us (new characters!) We really enjoyed our time there, and we forgot to see the decoration inside the hotel during Thanksgiving! Haha..

Next stop was Rocky Mountain National Park. We drove through downtown Estes Park and we didn’t see too many people around. Some of the stores were decorated with Thanksgiving themed, some were Christmas themed. We didn’t make any stop at all because I didn’t feel like shopping and we didn’t want to drive home in the dark.

We entered RMNP through Beaver Meadows Entrance. Snow was thick on both sides of the road, and it also covered the road surfaces. At the entrance station there’s a sign saying All Wheel Drive and 4WD recommended. We saw that the road to Trail Ridge Road was closed, so we turned left to Bear Lake Rd. I asked my husband if our car is All Wheel Drive and he said no. But why didn’t the Ranger tell us to turn around? I wonder.

We didn’t have a planned itinerary for the RMNP. We (or me?) just wanted to see the park in the winter. Ok. It’s not officially winter yet, but the snowstorm from a couple of days before has turned the park into a winter wonderland. Elks were trying to find food from the white ground. It’s so pretty and calm.

Anyway, we turned around at Moraine Park Discovery Center. We’re not sure how the road condition to Bear Lake would be. Thicker snow? Ice? And the fact that there was no cell connection made us make a decision to leave the park.

But we turned to Moraine Park Campground first. We wanted to see how the campground looked like in the winter. Apparently the snow on the road was even thicker here. We were afraid to make a U-turn as we couldn’t see the road sides, so we just followed the arrows. A family with young children was having fun sledding on the snow at one campsite. Probably locals, so they knew which location was safe for sledding.

Day 5 – Thursday – Lone Tree to Breckenridge

Happy Thanksgiving! As planned, we had brunch at a local restaurant for the day of Thanksgiving. Snow was still on the ground, but the road condition was better.

In the afternoon we drove to Breckenridge. Everywhere was covered with the white powder. A beautiful drive, I would say. We took CO-470 W from Lone Tree and turned to I-70 W before we continued on CO-9 S to Breckenridge. We passed Idaho Springs, the gateway to Mt. Evans; Georgetown, where you can ride the Georgetown Loop enjoying the beauty of the area from a steam engine; and a small town Frisco that reminded me of a city in North Texas that has the same name. Less than 2 hours later we arrived in Breckenridge.

As we arrived late in the city, there’s not much we could do. It’s close to 4.30, so we went straight to see the troll. The troll, named Isak Heartstone, is a 15-foot wooden sculpture created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. He is located on the Trollstigen Trail in the southeast corner of the Stephen C. West Ice Arena parking lot, next to Illinois Gulch Trailhead. After we parked in town, we took the Breck Free Ride that is also a pet friendly bus. Then we followed the troll’s footsteps to the trailhead.

Back in town, it’s already dark. We grabbed crepes from the famous Crepes a la Cart before we left for Lone Tree. The line was long, and we got to talk with a family who was also from Texas. We agreed that it got dark early in the mountain than back home in Texas. And it’s darker, too!

Day 6 – Friday – Lone Tree to Colorado Springs

Black Friday shopping has been out from the picture for our family since years ago. So, we went to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, hoping to see it empty. We were wrong! Apparently people in Colorado Springs didn’t like shopping either. Haha..

Although it’s not as busy as in the summer, finding a parking space was not easy. We were lucky when finally someone left at the Main Parking Area.

Like anywhere else, the city already plowed the sidewalks around the Central Garden Area. But when we walked past the sidewalks, snow was still thick and patches of ice were built here and there. When you visit during snow, you must be careful. We didn’t stop at the Balance Rock area because parking was full. Also, we didn’t make a stop at the Visitor Center as we’ve been there several times.

As most places of interest in Colorado, Garden of the Gods is also a pet friendly destination. You must keep your dogs on leashes all the time though. And don’t forget to carry your dog’s waste bag even though there are waste stations in the park. You never know when they’re out of it. Snoopy wasn’t the only dog in the park that day. He met lots of new friends.

Day 7 – Saturday – Lone Tree to Texas

It’s time to go home. It took about 12 hours to drive to our home in Texas, but after visiting Colorado several times, we no longer spent a night on the way home. The key is to leave as early as we could because we lost an hour going home. Goodbye snow! See you next time!

Our take on visiting Colorado during Thanksgiving Break

Besides the short daylight, we enjoyed our visit during Thanksgiving Break in Colorado. My son and I were hoping for the snow, and apparently that year mother nature decided to drop the snow more than normal. My husband enjoyed some of them, especially when we visited Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. The Shining is one of our favorite movies. So, it was really a perfect set up when we were there. 

Obviously, winter views are amazing! Everywhere we turned our head, it’s covered by snow. It’s really a winter wonderland for us Texan. In North Texas, sometimes we wore shorts in the winter.

Here are some things that you need to consider when you plan a visit to Colorado in November:

– it’s better if your car is a 4 wheeler or an all wheel drive.

– make sure it’s ready for a winter road trip.

– you don’t always see snow in or around Denver at this time of year, but mountains are most likely covered with snow. 

– winter season in ski towns begins in November.

– don’t put too many stops in for a day.

– it gets dark faster in the mountains.

– find information about the area you want to visit at this time of year.

– make sure you check the driving direction and time for every place you want to visit.

– putting a pair of boots on your dog’s paws is recommended as well as the sweaters (unless your dogs are huskies or other cold weather breeds.)

– drive carefully.

Have you been to Colorado in November? What cities did you visit? What did you do there? Let me know your experience by leaving a comment below.

As always, save these pins for later. Hope you will have a wonderful time when visiting Colorado in November!