Our Colorado Highway 70 rest stop adventures continued with a stop at the Vail Pass Rest Area.
See also : Glen Canyon Rest Stops and Grizzly Creek Trail
Vail Pass Rest Area
June 20, 2021
This rest area is a very active one! Cars, RVs, big rigs, hikers and mountain bikers all gather here. There is no shortage of people to watch if that’s your thing, it’s mine sometimes. (And talk to people, usually hikers and bikers.)
There is parking for everyone listed above so we ended up here overnight. For a rest stop, with big rigs, it was relatively quiet, to our dismay.
The view from the parking lot is magnificent with mountains and trees. Highway 70 is just a short distance away yet I never heard the roar of any vehicles.
Hiking at Vail Pass Rest Area
Cruisin’ into this rest area around 8:30 AM we decided to take a hike! (Of course, isn’t that why I’m out here?)
There are a few hikes in the area. We decided to try Wilder Gulch and get some altitude in for my Colorado Trail training, which averages above 10,000′. This should help with acclimating to elevation and preparing me for the Colorado Trail.
This was my first higher altitude hike ever and I felt it. The first few miles out and up slightly I felt as my breathing was taxed. Taking it a little slower we meandered our way up through a long meadow and pine trees. A creek flowed down the middle with views getting better and better as we gained slightly more altitude.
The trail winds on for quite a bit more yet we stopped at about 2 out because the altitude was making us tired.
After a couple of hours we headed back to the RV at the rest stop for some lunch and chill.
