Denver to Granby CO drive: Distance, time & attractions

Planning a Denver to Granby CO road trip itinerary

The Denver to Granby CO drive connects the Colorado capital to a mountain hideaway that works in both summer and winter.

Top Denver experiences include Rocky Mountain National Park day tours, downtown Denver food tours and chilling guided ghost walks around the Cheeseman Park cemetery.

Granby CO is home to the small Granby Ranch ski resort, which has five lifts and mainly easy to intermediate runs. You’ll also find the Grand Elk Golf Club, which allows you to combine 18 holes with rather special mountain views.

Come in summer, and the highlight is arguably Lake Granby, which plays host to one of the highest elevation yacht clubs in the world. The third largest lake in Colorado is also a good spot for fly fishing.

Denver to Granby distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Denver to Granby CO is 86 miles. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 41 minutes. The quickest route is along the US-6, then the I-70 and US-40.

The best stops to add to a Denver to Granby CO road trip itinerary are Idaho Springs CO, the Berthoud Pass and Winter Park CO.

Denver to Granby road trip attractions: Idaho Springs

Idaho Springs is a former gold mining town in the mountains. You can learn about that gold mining past on a tour to the ARGO Gold Mill and Mine.

These days, however, the town is something of an adventure sports hotspot. Whitewater rafting on Clear Creek is particularly popular, and you can try it at beginner, intermediate or advanced level.

Other Idaho Springs experience options include via ferrata climbing on Mount Evans, the cliffside zipline and Jeep tours.

Denver to Granby drive: The Berthoud Pass

The Berthoud Pass takes you through the Continental Divide along the US-40. It’s a spectacular mountain drive, and one that’s usually surprisingly free of traffic. The 6.2 mile drive gains 1,591ft in elevation, with some steep climbing and switchbacks along the way. Pull over in a safe spot, and you’ll be treated to magnificent mountain views. There are also several cascading waterfalls along the drive.

Best stops between Denver and Granby CO: Winter Park CO

Winter Park CO is one of the closest ski resorts to Denver. The resort offers more than 3,000 acres of terrain to tackle, and there’s plenty on offer for non-skiers. Other winter activities include tubing, snow-biking and snowshoeing. There are also Snowcat tours and ice skating available.

Come in summer, and you can try hiking and biking, as well as e-bike tours and an alpine slide.

Lake Granby is the third largest lake in Colorado.
Lake Granby is the third largest lake in Colorado. Photo by 12019/ Pixabay.

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