{"id":320753,"date":"2025-11-27T01:33:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T01:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/highlights-from-a-dog-friendly-summer-road-trip-to-colorado-solo-travel-girls-adventures\/"},"modified":"2025-11-27T01:33:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T01:33:11","slug":"highlights-from-a-dog-friendly-summer-road-trip-to-colorado-solo-travel-girls-adventures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=320753","title":{"rendered":"Highlights from a Dog-Friendly Summer Road Trip to Colorado \u2013 Solo Travel Girl’s Adventures"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Disclosure: Some posts on this blog may contain affiliate links. As an\u00a0Amazon Associate<\/a>, I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m in my wildflower era. So, when I discovered that Crested Butte is known as the Wildflower Capital of Colorado, I knew exactly where my summer road trip would lead. I pictured my social media feed blooming with magical shots of my senior pup, Radcliff, and me nestled in fields of color.<\/p>\n

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\"Colorado
Colorado road trip with my dog Radcliff, July 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The trip happened\u2014but not quite as I imagined.<\/p>\n

With Radcliff buckled in beside me, I packed up the car and left Southwest Florida for the Centennial State. Over two weeks and more than 5,000 miles, we chased mountain views, sniffed out dog-friendly stops, and made unforgettable memories. Our journey was filled with surprises, detours, and moments of quiet joy. And while the wildflowers didn\u2019t unfold exactly as planned, the adventure bloomed in its own beautiful way.<\/p>\n

Following are the dog-friendly stops we enjoyed in Colorado, in chronological order.<\/p>\n

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\"Posing<\/figure>\n
\"Radcliff<\/figure>
\u201cSun Spot\u201d at the Denver Municipal Animal Shelter, July 2, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dog-Friendly Stops in Colorado<\/h2>\n

\u201cSun Spot,\u201d Denver<\/h3>\n

The first full day in Colorado was spent with family in Loveland and Denver. After that, our adventure continued. Heading out of Denver, we stopped at the Denver Municipal Animal Shelter<\/a> to admire \u201cSun Spot,\u201d<\/a> a 25-foot-tall sculpture adorned with more than 90,000 stainless steel pet tags.<\/p>\n

Installed in 2011, the seated canine represents every dog. Inside the shelter, which wasn\u2019t open when we arrived, is the second part of the sculpture, a 6-foot-wide collar sculpture suspended from the ceiling. (1241 W Bayaud Ave., Denver, CO 80223)<\/p>\n

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Exploring some of South Valley Park in Littleton, Colorado, July 2, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

South Valley Park, Littleton<\/h3>\n

Admittedly, this Jefferson County park was not my first choice for a dog-friendly hike, but it should have been. In my planning, I identified what I thought were a couple of canine-welcoming parks with gorgeous views, one being a state park. We drove 45 minutes to a particular park only to see the sign where dogs were prohibited.<\/p>\n

Shoot! How did I miss this when planning? No worries. I had a backup plan, South Valley Park<\/a>, about a 30-minute drive. <\/p>\n

Radcliff could care less where we hiked, and I didn\u2019t have much planned for this day. We parked at the North Trailhead to spend time on the Swallow Trail where we admired the red rock sandstone formations. Gorgeous. The scenery reminded me a bit of Garden of the Gods<\/a> in Colorado Springs. (13250 Valley Rd, Littleton, CO 80127)<\/p>\n

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\"Enjoying<\/figure>\n
\"Downtown<\/figure>
Rest stop at Georgetown Lake and downtown Georgetown, Colorado, July 2, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Georgetown and Guanella Pass<\/h3>\n

We headed west on I-70 for an overnight stay in Silverthorne and a highway sign indicating a bighorn sheep viewing area pulled me into the historic town of Georgetown. We walked a bit along Georgetown Lake and downtown but never found the viewing area. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s okay. Downtown Georgetown is stinking cute! Established as a mining camp during the Pike\u2019s Peak Gold Rush in the mid-1800s, the downtown has stunning Victorian architecture. Although dogs aren\u2019t allowed inside businesses and restaurants, they\u2019re allowed in eateries with outdoor dining.<\/p>\n

I popped my head into the Georgetown Energy Museum<\/a> to learn a little bit about hydroelectricity from the museum guide. I work in utilities, so the visit was interesting, especially since where I work, we don\u2019t generate hydroelectricity. The museum guide recommended a drive up Guanella Pass Scenic Byway so off we were, and wow! <\/p>\n

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\"Somewhere<\/figure>\n
\"Mount<\/figure>
Somewhere along the Guanella Pass (left) and Mount Evans Wilderness Parking Area on the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway (right), July 2, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The views on the way up, down and at the top were incredibly stunning. The pass is 11,669 feet and we stopped at the Guanella Pass Trailhead<\/a> to stretch our legs while soaking up the breathtaking mountain beauty. The cool air is exactly what I was seeking. I drank in the idyllic scenery, almost too perfect to be real: a lake at the base of the lightly snowcapped mountain and green foothills topped with shrubs, trees, and dainty yellow flowers.<\/p>\n

The trailhead is a starting point along the Bierstadt Trail, which leads to Mount Bierstadt, one of Colorado\u2019s 14ers (elevation is 14,062 feet). We didn\u2019t do much hiking and saw serious hikers, including some with four paws. (Note: Guanella Pass Scenic Byway<\/a> is a 22-mile road and usually open Memorial Day Weekend and closes on about November 26.)<\/p>\n

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\"Radcliff<\/figure>\n
\"Radcliff<\/figure>
Radcliff and I at Rim Rock Trail at the South Rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, July 4, 2025 (left) Radcliff at the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, July 5, 2025 (right)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, North & South Rims<\/h3>\n

All respectable road trips must include a visit to at least one national park<\/a> (I made that up) and we managed to explore Black Canyon of the Gunnison<\/a>. Words, photos, and 4k video can\u2019t convey the park\u2019s stunning beauty. Our visit was less than a week before wildfires ravaged through the park so I\u2019m cherishing our visit even more.<\/p>\n

Because the South Rim was closest to our stay in Paonia, we visited here first. It happened to be Independence Day so the visit seemed extra patriotic. The next day, we toured the North Rim, which is not as visited as the South Rim. It\u2019s a 5-mile scenic ride along a gravel road so it\u2019s a leisurely drive with spectacular views.<\/p>\n

Both rims have one dog-friendly trail. I learned from a National Park Service ranger that all the lookout points are dog-friendly and most required a little bit of walking. This was paw-fect!<\/p>\n

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\"Kneeling<\/figure>\n
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Kneeling Camel Formation \u2013 North Rim at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado, July 5, 2025. (left) Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Service Visitor Center \u2013 South Rim, July 4, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Radcliff doesn\u2019t have the endurance for long hikes (we prepared for navigating high altitudes<\/a>), especially at elevations above sea level, so our hiking adventures were brief with long rests. There were a few times where he felt bold and adventurous, peering over the edges and making me nervous. There were other times when he didn\u2019t want to get out of the car, so he sat in the air conditioning while I took in the vistas. He\u2019s such a good boy! (South Rim address: 9800 Hwy 347, Montrose, CO 81401; North Rim address: 7295 Black Canyon Road, Crawford, Colorado)<\/p>\n

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\"Radcliff<\/figure>\n
\"Brush<\/figure>
Brush Creek Trail in Gunnison National Forest, Colorado, July 6, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brush Creek Trail in Gunnison National Forest, Crested Butte<\/h3>\n

The entire trip centered around the Brush Creek Trail<\/a> in Gunnison National Forest, promising eye-popping blooms of wildflowers. It\u2019s an in-and-out trail, 2.2 miles and rated for beginners so I thought it would be an easy adventure for Radcliff.<\/p>\n

Wildflowers sprinkled both sides of the trail but less than a quarter mile in, my faithful companion stopped, turned around, and pulled me towards the parking area. There was no amount of persuading him to head down the trail. This is an unusual move for him and the only other time he\u2019s ever done this was when we hiked the Rim Rock Trail in Black Canyon of the Gunnison.<\/p>\n

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I found one spot to pull over and enjoy the summer scenery on the road from Crested Butte to Gothic, Colorado, July 6, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I didn\u2019t snap the photos I anticipated, those of Radcliff and I sitting in a sea of wildflowers with a mountain backdrop. Surprisingly, I wasn\u2019t as disappointed as I thought I\u2019d be. Life is about the journey, and we had already seen so many stunning sights and knew more were to come. We hopped in the car and drove through Crested Butte and up to Gothic (with a name like \u201cGothic,\u201d I had to go), a former ghost town now home to the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab.<\/p>\n

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