Originally Posted by
Djongo Unchained
Ok, get your map out. Getting to JH from ABQ in a day is a long haul no matter how you go.
No brainer hwy driving is I-25N to I-80W, no doubt, and that even gets busy from Csprings to Cheyenne.
More directly and way more scenic and cool is going due north thru CO. Also, by def, slower. Easier on the rig though.
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Hwy 550N is quiet and easy to start, then awesome mtns. from Durango to Grand Jct.
North outta Fruita/Loma (MTB.!) on 139 over Douglas pass Thru Rangely, Dinosaur and over to Vernal then onto Hwy 191N up past Flaming Gorge and thru Rock springs on to Jackson. 800 miles ~15 hrs.
Hwy. 285 is more like the low elevation approach, gonna be on the valley floor for a long ways.
A little I25 to start but then it's a sweet stretch north onto 285; miles and miles of desert, sage, pinon, juniper.
Great sand dunes NPP is just NE of Alamosa, cool park but likely blazing then.
From Salida to Craig, you'll be in mtns. and twisties; getting off of 285 and onto 24 at Buena V.
High desert from Craig up to I80 for some WY/CO border desolation then west to RS and up 191 to JH. More miles but less time they say...830mi. in ~14 hrs.
I'd suggest 550/50/191 as it's easy to start and finish with lotsa goods in the middle.
Does your A/C crank?
I can style you out with all of the local camping. The forest is FC/FServed but that doesn't make it as easy as you'd think.
All the locs here have a few favorite spots.
You could park in the driveway or pitch a tent on my back lawn if ya get foiled.
Lotsa open space if ya know where to look.
Take a gondy up and camp on the village, shhhhh.