Vail is less than 100 miles from Denver by I-70, and Denver International Airport is about a two-hour drive from town. The good stops break down by what you need. Georgetown and Idaho Springs suit history and a meal, Dillon Reservoir and Frisco suit the outdoors, Vail Pass is a high-altitude leg stretch, and Loveland Pass is a scenic detour when the weather is dry. One popular stop on older lists, Hanging Lake, is not between Vail and Denver at all: it is west of Vail, past the Vail exit.
Stops from Denver to Vail, east to west
| Stop | Where on the corridor | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre | Denver side; owned and operated by the City and County of Denver | Concerts, an early start or late finish |
| Idaho Springs | West of Denver on I-70 | Mining history, a pizza stop |
| Georgetown Loop Railroad | Georgetown, I-70 exit 228; 45 miles west of Denver | Families, train and mine tours |
| Loveland Pass | US 6 over the Continental Divide, an alternative to the Eisenhower Tunnel | High views on a dry day |
| Silverthorne, Dillon Reservoir and Frisco | Silverthorne exit 205, Frisco exit 203 | Lake, trails, shopping, winter tubing |
| Vail Pass rest area | I-70 exit 190, 10,662 feet | A short stop and the Vail Pass bike path |
Seasons, hours and prices change on all of these, so confirm the current details on each official site before you build a day around a stop. Check COtrip for I-70 conditions.
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre
Red Rocks is a concert venue and a city park, and the official site, redrocksonline.com, carries hours, directions, a visitor center and a Trading Post. It is owned and operated by the City and County of Denver. It is a better fit for the first or last day of a trip than a mid-drive stop, and show nights change traffic and parking, so check the schedule before you plan around it.
Idaho Springs: the Argo Mill and a mountain pie
The Argo Mill and Tunnel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The mill stands over 110 feet tall, and a tour includes a look inside the tunnel portal plus gold or gem panning. For lunch, Beau Jo's has made pizza with a thick, hand-rolled crust since 1973 under the name mountain pie, served with honey for dipping the crust. Beau Jo's has more than one location, so use the Idaho Springs page for hours and directions. Indian Hot Springs is also in town; confirm current hours and age rules directly with the spa.
Georgetown Loop Railroad
The railroad says it sits just off I-70, 45 miles west of Denver, and runs a narrow-gauge ride between Georgetown and Silver Plume over the Devil's Gate High Bridge. The ride takes about 1 hour 15 minutes in the main season and about 55 minutes from mid-October through early January. The mine tour is offered from April through September, and train plus mine together is 2.5 hours. The 2026 season opened March 20, holiday trains were on sale in September, and the Silver Plume depot is open only from late May through mid-October. Collect printed tickets at the depot 30 minutes before departure. Children under 5 cannot go underground, and the mine stays about 40 degrees.
Loveland Pass
US 6 crosses the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass at about 11,990 feet. Trucks that cannot use the Eisenhower Tunnel, including those carrying hazardous materials, must take the pass, and Wikipedia's summary describes the road as treacherous in winter with a steady 6.7 percent grade. Treat it as a fair-weather detour: if conditions are icy, stay on I-70.
Silverthorne, Dillon Reservoir and Frisco
The Outlets at Silverthorne are at 246-V Rainbow Drive, with a store directory and daily hours posted online. Dillon Reservoir is the main outdoor draw: Denver Water, which owns the reservoir, routes visitors to Dillon Marina from Silverthorne exit 205 and Frisco Bay Marina from Frisco exit 203. More than seven paved miles circle the water for hiking and biking, ice fishing is possible when conditions permit, and the Blue River below the dam carries a Gold Medal trout designation, with special regulations above the reservoir under Colorado Parks and Wildlife rules.
Boat launching depends on water level: Denver Water says the Dillon Marina ramp is unusable for most motorized craft when the reservoir is at 8,971 feet, and Frisco Bay Marina's at 9,009 feet. Rentals for kayaks, canoes and sailboats are available in the area.
The Town of Frisco runs the Frisco Adventure Park, one mile from Main Street on Highway 9 in the Peninsula Recreation Area. In summer the bike park, trails, skate park and disc golf course are open, weather permitting. For winter 2026-27, the tubing hill and Nordic center are set to reopen November 26, 2026, and the ski and snowboard hill follows on December 4, 2026, all snow pending.
Vail Pass rest area and the bike path
The rest area sits at I-70 exit 190 near the summit, at 10,662 feet by the Colorado exit list. Vail Resorts' guide describes the Vail Pass bike path as a fully paved, separated multi-use trail from East Vail over the pass toward Copper Mountain, roughly 14 to 18 miles depending on your start point, gaining about 1,800 feet. Our guide to how high Vail Pass is covers the altitude side.
Not between Vail and Denver: Hanging Lake
Hanging Lake is west of Vail, in Glenwood Canyon, so it belongs on a Vail to Glenwood Springs day, not a Denver to Vail drive. A time-specific reservation is required for each visitor: $12 a person from April 30 to October 31, $10 from November 1 to March 31, with a three-hour hiking window, parking included and no pets. Book through visitglenwood.com; the White River National Forest Hanging Lake page has current fees if they change. The trail climbs 1,200 feet in 1.2 miles. Coming from the east, continue to Glenwood Springs exit 116 and double back east to exit 125, about eight extra miles each way. Glenwood Springs is a 50-minute drive from Vail.
Doing it without a car
Bustang's West Line, the state-run I-70 bus, lists stops at Denver Union Station, Idaho Springs, the Frisco Transfer Center and the Vail Transportation Center, and a separate Pegasus van serves Denver and Avon along the same corridor. Current fares and timetables are on the Bustang West Line page. For the airport leg, see the closest airport to Vail and how to get to Vail. Once you arrive, our summer things to do in Vail picks up where this drive ends.
