I am going to make trip from Salt Lake City, Ut to BlackHawk/Central City, Co in August. Any suggestions on the best route (i.e., Hwy 70 east, Hwy 40 east or Hwy 80). Is there any way of avoiding the grade up to Eisenhower Tunnel?
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venicite wrote: I am going to make trip from Salt Lake City, Ut to BlackHawk/Central City, Co in August. Any suggestions on the best route (i.e., Hwy 70 east, Hwy 40 east or Hwy 80). Is there any way of avoiding the grade up to Eisenhower Tunnel?
Any way you go you have to gain/lose the same amount of elevation. Suggest you take I70 to the Central City exit. Just time your drive to avoid commuter traffic. I too hate the long hard pull up to the tunnel. Sometimes you just have to do what you got to do.
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It is always possible to take the peak to peak highway from Estes Park down to Central city and you have almost no grades at all. It's KIND of hard to travel much in the mountains though without towing up some grades and the Interstate is usually the fastest and easiest route.
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The best road signs, ever, are on the road that goes from Golden to Central City. Not sure of the road, but the signs say "In case of Flash Flood, abandon vehicle and climb!". Almost be worth being there in a flood just to see it.
skipnchar wrote: It is always possible to take the peak to peak highway from Estes Park down to Central city and you have almost no grades at all. It's KIND of hard to travel much in the mountains though without towing up some grades and the Interstate is usually the fastest and easiest route.
Almost no grades on the Peak To Peak Highway? Estes Park is 7522 ft elevation. Ward is 9,450 ft. It takes some grades to change that kind of elevation. 4 to 5 percent grades are common on that road.
If you take I-70 you have the 8 mile climb from Silverthorne to the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnels. And you also have a 8 mile climb from Vail to the top of Vail pass. Then a fairly stedp downhill to Copper Mountain.
US 40 requires you going over Berthoud Pass which has a steep climb.
I-80 to I-25 then US 6 through Clear Creek Canyon then Highway 119 into Blcakhawk will have the easiest climbs. But 6 and 119 are 2 lane roads with a few narrow places.
The new Central City Parkway from I-70 has a 8 percent grade in one part and a steep downhill as you enter Central City.
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