Driving from the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado to the high plains of southeastern Wyoming is an immersion in a world of snowcapped peaks, scenic lakes, geological curiosities, and cowboys on horseback riding the endless range.

Overview
This 390-mile (630-kilometer) road trip begins in Denver, Colorado, crosses through Rocky Mountain National Park, and continues north into Wyoming, where a world of sagebrush and enormous skies are punctuated by the occasional cluster of civilization. Gas stations can be far apart. Cattle are abundant, outnumbering people, as is wildlife—keep an eye out for roaming pronghorn, elk, and moose. Circling through the mountains and along the prairie's edge, this drive is stunning in any season, but parts of it are impassable in the winter, when snow buries the roads.

First Stop: Boulder
From Denver, follow Highway 36 northwest, stopping to absorb the city of Boulder's funky vibe on pedestrian-only Pearl Street Mall, where incense wafts from open doors and street musicians puff into didgeridoos. At the Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery (www.boulderartsandcrafts.com), check out the efforts of local artists, including elk-antler jewelry, hand-carved cherrywood spoons, and giant saguaros made of metal.

Rocky Mountain National Park
Highway 36 continues, winding and climbing, then winding and descending, into Estes Park (www.estes-park.com), where the sprawling, reputedly haunted Stanley Hotel (www.stanleyhotel.com), inspiration for Stephen King's novel, The Shining, gleams from a hilltop. Once a rustic mountain town, today Estes Park is the bustling T-shirt-store-lined gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park (www.nps.gov/romo). Traverse the park on the stretch of Highway 34 known as Trail Ridge Road. Ponderosa pines tower over the road, then part to reveal valleys far below and sheer mountainsides above. It's the highest continuous paved highway in the U.S., topping out at 12,183 feet (3,713 meters). Above the timberline (11,500 feet/3,500 meters), it winds through a wind-whipped moonscape dotted with alpine plants clinging to the tundra. In the winter, snowdrifts can reach 35 feet (11 meters), and the road closes.