You can make Denver to Hooper in about 3.5 hours, but the people who love this drive never do it in one straight shot. At around 210 miles on US-285 and CO-17, it is short enough to start after breakfast and long enough to earn a night somewhere memorable in sightings country.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Denver
Aim to clear Denver before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 72 miles to Colorado Springs.
The headline stop on this route is UFO Watchtower on Highway 17. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs sits about 72 miles in. It makes a good spot to stretch, eat something that is not from a gas station, and swap drivers.
Nearby, Great Sand Dunes National Park is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Salida, the last stretch
Salida sits about 148 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Rolling into Hooper
The final 62 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Dark night skies over the valley; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen UFO Watchtower on Highway 17, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Dark night skies over the valley, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
One night is the sweet spot. Alamosa or Salida, CO is where most people stay, so book ahead on summer weekends.
Check live gas prices along US-285 and CO-17 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
