Why this ride
A 372 km one-way ride from near Castle Rock, about 8 h 23 of riding. near Woodland Park is the high point. It tops out at about 3,350 m. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Million Dollar Highway Weekend · part 1
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 372 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 8 h 23
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Fuel stop near Castle Rock
Planning note
Million Dollar Highway Weekend is where the day begins. Next is High point near Woodland Park.
2. High point near Woodland Park
Planning note
You top out here; the road stops climbing. Next is Scenic stretch near Georgetown.
3. Scenic stretch near Georgetown
Silver built Georgetown. In the 1860s, prospectors working up Clear Creek found rich silver ore in the mountains above this narrow valley west of Denver, and within a few years the town became one of the most important mining centres in Colorado, nicknamed the Silver Queen of the Rockies. When silver prices crashed in 1893, the boom ended, but the town survived, and today its streets of Victorian houses, brick storefronts and wooden churches form one of the best-preserved historic mining districts in the American West.
Read the complete Georgetown write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 227 km into the recorded legs you reach Scenic stretch near Georgetown. Next is Photo stop near Estes Park.
4. Photo stop near Estes Park
Trail Ridge Road begins its climb here, a few miles west of Estes Park, and by the time you reach this stretch of US 34, you have entered Rocky Mountain National Park and left the town far below. The road winds up through forests of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir, past meadows where elk graze, and around curves that open up views of the Continental Divide. Around Many Parks Curve, a parking area on a tight bend gives one of the best early views: a series of mountain meadows, or parks, spread out below, with Longs Peak, the highest summit in the park, towering over them to the south.
Read the complete Photo stop near Estes Park write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Photo stop near Estes Park closes the day.
Leg by leg
Fuel stop near Castle Rock to High point near Woodland Park
Fuel stop near Castle Rock → High point near Woodland Park is 97 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
High point near Woodland Park to Scenic stretch near Georgetown
High point near Woodland Park → Scenic stretch near Georgetown is 130 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Scenic stretch near Georgetown to Photo stop near Estes Park
Scenic stretch near Georgetown → Photo stop near Estes Park is 145 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.