MOUNTAIN TOWNS NEAR DENVER: 7 Best Towns to Visit on a Day Trip from Denver in Less Than 2 Hours

Colorado is one of the prettiest states for road tripping and day trips thanks to beautiful mountain towns and natural scenery. And Denver is centrally located with convenient access to many of these mountain towns in both the summer and winter months.

Driving west or northwest out of Denver, you’ll quickly come across some beautiful, quintessential mountain towns. Many of which sit along the I-70 corridor for easy access for road tripping, day trips, or weekend getaways. In this video, I detail the best mountain towns to visit near Denver, if you're planning a fun road trip this summer. Plus, these Colorado mountain towns are within a 2-2.5 hour drive of the Mile High City.

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Safety Tips for Driving Along I-70

Anyone in Colorado knows that I-70 traffic can be a real nuisance, from too many tourists to construction that slows down the flow. To help relieve this congestion, the Mountain Express Lanes are shoulder lanes that were built to aid during peak periods, such as holidays and weekends.

The rest of the time, they operate as typical shoulders to be used only by two-axle vehicles for emergencies and breakdowns. While driving along I-70 and attempting to use the Express Lanes, here are some safety tips you should know. Please know, it is dangerous and illegal to:

+ Drive in the Express Lane when signage indicates it is closed, except in an emergency or as an authorized emergency vehicle.
+ Weave in and out of the Express Lane over the solid line. Drivers may only enter and exit the Express Lanes at designated points that are marked by overhead signage and dashed lines.
+ Use the lanes in vehicles with three or more axles or longer than 25 feet, such as recreational vehicles, vehicles hauling boats and trailers, and tractor-trailers.

In 2022, the Colorado legislature passed a new bill to reinforce the rules of using Express Lanes. It allowed the Colorado Transportation Investment Office (CTIO) to enforce these rules using civil penalties. The enforcement will eventually apply to all Express Lane corridors, but early enforcement will focus on the I-70 Mountain Express Lanes.

The penalty for an infraction is a $75 civil penalty sent via mail based on the registered address of the vehicle’s license plate. The enforcement period of the I-70 Express Lanes began June 21, 2023 and includes a month-long grace period. During this grace period, drivers will receive warnings in the mail when they have been recorded committing a violation.

These notices will inform drivers that the grace period ends on July 21, 2023, and violations committed on or after the end date will result in a $75 fine. Violators have a period of 20 days to pay their fine before it increases to $150.

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Enjoyed this video? Read more about the best mountain towns near Denver over on the blog: https://hashtagcoloradolife.com/best-...

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Contents of this Video:
0:00 Intro
0:31 Idaho Springs
1:40 Georgetown
2:34 Dillon & Silverthorne
3:35 Breckenridge
4:31 Estes Park
5:21 Grand Lake
6:16 Glenwood Springs
7:16 Outro & Subscribe

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