Denver to Silverthorne CO drive: Distance, time & attractions

Planning a Denver to Silverthorne road trip itinerary

The Denver to Silverthorne drive connects the Colorado capital to a mountain hub town.

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

Silverthorne acts as a hub town for several nearby ski resorts. It is home to the Outlets at Silverthorne shopping mall, while fishing fans can head to the Dillon Reservoir.

Rainbow Park has two playgrounds and a sledding hill, but the main outdoor action here is hiking. The 4.6-mile return Ptarmigan Trail will take you to the 12,504ft-high summit of Ptarmigan Mountain.

Denver to Silverthorne distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Denver to Silverthorne is 68 miles. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 10 minutes. The quickest route is mostly along the I-70.

The best stops to add to a Denver to Silverthorne road trip itinerary are Genesee Park, Idaho Springs and Georgetown CO.

Best stops between Denver and Silverthorne: Genesee Park

Genesee Park is a mountain park just off the I-70, and offers magnificent views of the Front Range. There are hiking trails here, but wildlife lovers will probably come to spot the elk and bison herds that roam the park. The best place to see the bison herd is the Buffalo Overlook. Take exit 254 from the I-70 to reach it.

Denver to Silverthorne 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 Silverthorne drive: Georgetown CO

On the I-70, Georgetown CO offers an engaging handful of tourist attractions. Most popular of these is the Georgetown Loop Railroad, where steam trains head across scenic bridges through the mountains. You can also go deep inside the old Lebanon silver mine, with tours heading inside the tunnels dug into Leavenworth Mountain.

The Loveland Pass near Silverthorne, Colorado.
The Loveland Pass near Silverthorne, Colorado. Photo by MichaelKirsh/ Pixabay.

More Denver road trips

Denver to Albuquerque | Amarillo to Denver | Denver to Arches National Park | Denver to Aspen | Atlanta to Denver | Denver to Beaver Creek | Denver to Breckenridge | Denver to Cedar Rapids | Denver to Cheyenne | Denver to Chicago | Cincinnati to Denver | Denver to Colorado Springs | Denver to Copper Mountain | Dallas to Denver | Denver to Des Moines | Denver to El Paso | Denver to Estes Park | Denver to Flagstaff | Denver to Fort Collins | Denver to Frisco CO | Denver to Garden of the Gods | Denver to Glenwood Springs | Denver to Granby CO | Grand Junction to Denver | Houston to Denver | Denver to Idaho Springs | Indianapolis to Denver | Kansas City to Denver | Denver to Keystone | Denver to Laramie.

Denver to Madison WI | Denver to Moab | Nashville to Denver | Oklahoma City to Denver | Denver to Omaha | Philadelphia to Denver | Denver to Phoenix | Denver to Pikes Peak | Denver to Pittsburgh | Pueblo CO to Denver | Denver to Salt Lake City | Denver to San Antonio | Denver to Santa Fe | Denver to Scottsdale | Denver to Sedona | Denver to Springfield MO | Denver to St Louis | Denver to Topeka | Tucson to Denver | Tulsa to Denver | Denver to Vail | Denver to Wichita | Denver to Winter Park CO.