Raton NM to Breckinridge Colorado

[Legman]

Good evening,
I’m going to Breckinridge in mid May from Texas and wanting to make sure I’m taking the best route towing my rig. Should I take Hwy 50 from Pueblo to Breckinridge or take 25 to 70 ( I think that’s correct). If anyone has done either I’d love your feedback.
Thanks in advance!

[Thomas ho]

25 to denver is a easier pull. denver traffic is a killer . prettier drive the other way but mountain roads .

[theHookers]

Depends on your personal preference, traffic and road work at the time and weather.

I personally hate traveling through Colorado Springs and Denver on I25. Not a huge fan of the I70 into or out of Denver.
But, you can bypass the worst of I25 Denver by taking co 470 west to I70.

That’s the longest way of your choices.

I prefer 2 lane hwy and the US50 is fine for TT. US 50 to US24/CO SH9 should be fine. I Haven’t been on SH9 from Fiarplay to Breckinridge in awhile, but it should be good too.

We took the 550 (million dollar hwy) out of Durango to Silverton a few years ago and were mostly fine. We followed a logging truck down the last bit and the brakes on the trailer were a tad hot. Had we been free to drive it would have been fine. He was really slow. That hwy is barely discernible on a map from surface streets.

I for sure would choose 50/24/9 over Interstates.

You can travel to Colorado Spring on I25 and then jump of into US24. That skips the 50 section and only adds a little time.

[jdebevec]

Avoid Denver and I-70. My preference is take I-25 to Colorado Springs, then US 24 west into the mountains, to Colo. Hwy 9 North. Takes you right to Breckenridge. Only mountain pass is Hoosier Pass on Hwy 9. It's a easy climb up the south side of the pass, then several switchbacks down the north side into Breckenridge.

[elchilero53]

Originally Posted by jdebevec

Avoid Denver and I-70. My preference is take I-25 to Colorado Springs, then US 24 west into the mountains, to Colo. Hwy 9 North. Takes you right to Breckenridge. Only mountain pass is Hoosier Pass on Hwy 9. It's a easy climb up the south side of the pass, then several switchbacks down the north side into Breckenridge.

This except an alternate route that avoids Raton Pass might save fuel and is a bit more direct: US 287 from Amarillo to Boise City then US 385 to Lamar CO, where you pick up US 50. Then US 50 to Pueblo and Cañon City. Pick up CO SH 9 at Cañon City and on to Breckenridge. As jdebevec said, the only pass then is Hoosier Pass with 7 switchbacks/hairpin turns on the north side. Raton Pass is a long, steep 6% grade on the north side into Trinidad.

[mnoland30]

Traffic on I-25 through Denver is pretty heavy, but if you avoid rush hour it isn't so bad. I paid to use the turnpike to avoid I-25 once and was shocked at the price. If I remember correctly, it was $25. They send you a bill a while later. With a trailer, I'd look for a more scenic route.

[jimmoore13]

So much depends on your rig and your experience, I'll add that as a proviso.

You don't say what you are towing and what you are towing with. A fiver behind a diesel dually is one thing, and an R-Pod behind a half-ton is quite another.

Assuming you have a decently matched pair, and assuming that you aren't in a hurry, the scenic routes are infinitely better, and the roads are all adequate for semis ... to say nothing of an RV.

Here's the deal. You need to become proficient with manual shifting of your transmission. You'll crest several mountain passes over 11,000 feet en route, and you absolutely MUST be capable of using lower gears to control speed on the downhills. If not, you'll smoke your brakes in no time. If you have a diesel, you MUST have an exhaust brake. These hold true regardless of route, but you can't avoid these tactics on the "back roads."

On Rt. 9, on your way into Breck, you'll descend Hoosier Pass, and it starts at just over 11,500 feet and drops to 9600 feet. The link shows several switchbacks en route. It's not a problem if you can save your brakes and use engine braking for most of your speed control.
If that's not your bag, stick to I-25, C-470, and I-70...but there's no free lunch out here. I 70 crosses the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass (Eisenhower Tunnel) at 11,013 feet. The downhill is a bit gentler, but just as much of a drop, because the "bottom of the hill" is at 9000 feet.

The image is of Wolf Creek Pass, but one's about the same as the other out here. I've been up and over most of them while towing, and manual shifting is the key to a comfortable drive.

[jimmoore13]

Originally Posted by mnoland30

Traffic on I-25 through Denver is pretty heavy, but if you avoid rush hour it isn't so bad. I paid to use the turnpike to avoid I-25 once and was shocked at the price. If I remember correctly, it was $25. They send you a bill a while later. With a trailer, I'd look for a more scenic route.

C-470 is free...from I25 to I70. It can be somewhat congested and is under construction. E-470 is a toll road. Staggeringly expensive, considerably longer, and largely free of heavy traffic. Tolls calculated by the axle...and did I mention EXPENSIVE? The tolls are criminal.

[PoppySteve]

Originally Posted by elchilero53

This except an alternate route that avoids Raton Pass might save fuel and is a bit more direct: US 287 from Amarillo to Boise City then US 385 to Lamar CO, where you pick up US 50. Then US 50 to Pueblo and Cañon City. Pick up CO SH 9 at Cañon City and on to Breckenridge. As jdebevec said, the only pass then is Hoosier Pass with 7 switchbacks/hairpin turns on the north side. Raton Pass is a long, steep 6% grade on the north side into Trinidad.

X2
On last years trip, I just hated the I-25 road conditions north of Raton. Year before that, it was the construction on Raton Pass that was not pleasant.