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Overlanding from Grand Junction: Our Visit to Overland Expo Mtn West

Guest Post by Michelle Aspelin

Experience the Overland Expo Mountain West in CO

One thing we haven’t really covered on this blog yet is overlanding from Grand Junction. And what’s a better way to introduce the subject than to talk about our experience attending the Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, CO for the first time in August 2026. We aren’t overlanders, but now that we have a Toyota 4Runner, we’ve become much more interested in the vehicles, gear, and adventures that make up the overlanding community. We think living in Grand Junction is the perfect place for an overlanding lifestyle.

Tickets for Overland Expo Mtn West

We chose to attend the expo in Loveland, CO because that location and the dates fit our schedule. We went on a Friday because we thought it would be less busy than the weekend. It was easy to move around, not too crowded.

We bought our tickets online ahead of time. The fee in 2026 was $32/person for a day pass. You can camp or get weekend passes as well. There are happy hours and evening activities. Since we were staying in a hotel, the day pass worked for us. But if you have a camper, I would consider staying at the venue location for access to more fun and activities.

Overland Expo 2027 Schedule

Overland Expo SoCal Dates: March 13–14, 2027
Location: OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California (11 hours/778 miles from GJ)

Overland Expo West Dates: May 14–16, 2027
Location: Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Arizona (7 hours/440 miles from GJ)

Overland Expo Pacific Northwest (PNW) Dates: June 25–27, 2027
Location: Deschutes County Expo Center in Redmond, Oregon (15 hours/940 miles from GJ)

Overland Expo Mountain West Dates: August 20–22, 2027
Location: Riverdale Regional Park in Brighton, Colorado (4.5 hours/258 miles from GJ)

Driving to Loveland via Rocky Mountain National Park

One of the best things about living in Colorado is that no matter where you drive to, it’s guaranteed to be scenic, and an adventure in and of itself. We planned our route from Grand Junction to Loveland, CO through Rocky Mountain National Park. We have been wanting to drive Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous road in the US, and go to the Alpine Visitor Center, the highest in the US. On our way back, we took the amazing Old Fall River Road from East to West (it’s a one-way gravel road). It was the original road to get over the Continental Divide in that rocky region. Read our post about that experience!

Stats about the Overland Expo Mtn West 2026

Here’s the recap of the event as written by Rick Stowe of Overland Expo. Full article link.

“The overlanding community brought the HEAT this weekend, and we’re not talking about the weather. Overland Expo Mountain West just wrapped up in Loveland, Colorado, and it was one to remember. 335 exhibitors filled The Ranch with everything from full-size expedition builds and adventure motorcycles to camping equipment and the latest overland accessories, while nearly 300 classes, demonstrations, and activities gave attendees plenty of opportunities to sharpen their skills. Add in two unique Ride & Drive experiences, evening gatherings, live entertainment, and the Overland Expo Foundation Charity Raffle, and Mountain West delivered another packed weekend for the overland and outdoor community. By the time the gates closed Sunday afternoon, 18,500 attendees from all 50 states and 14 countries had made their way to Colorado for another excellent Overland Expo. It was a great mix of attendees, including those who have never missed an Overland Expo Mountain West and over 9,000 first-time attendees who were welcomed to the community this weekend.”

Our Experience

Paul sitting inside the Outpost 8.0 truck camper

Yeah, we were two of those 9,000 newbies! Overland Expo Mountain West brings a larger number of new products, rigs, and vehicle platforms debuting at an event. Lots of NEW at the Expo. In fact, we made a beeline to see the brand-new Outpost 8.0 truck camper when the gates opened at 9am. We saw the original Outpost 6.5 at the Adventure Van Expo in Winter Park in July. Outpost Campers is based in Bayfield, CO, down near Durango.

With 282 session hours presented by 79 instructors, there were tons of options about dozens of topics, from foraging wild ingredients for camp cocktails to traveling as a couple, and working full time while living on the road. We attended 2 overlanding educational sessions about content creation and working from your vehicle/camper. They were both very informative and we got quite a few ideas on how we can best help our readers understand, and take advantage of, the Live Your Vacation lifestyle in Grand Junction.

We stopped at a few product booths to learn more about air compressors for airing up and down our tires (when we drive on rocky 4×4 roads), overlanding gear, organizers, and tools.

We stopped at the Subaru booth to pet the puppies up for adoption, so cute! Lots of dogs were in attendance with their owners (they reported seeing 700!).

We made our way to the Toyota booth, one of the title sponsors of the Expo, and got 2 free dry bags! We use them to keep our stuff dry when kayaking down the Colorado River. That was a bonus.

There were a variety of food trucks for lunch and snacks, even a full bar! It was hot so we stuck to lemonade. Chewed a few electrolyte tablets too since it was hot and we were at about 5,000’ elevation. Drank lots of water, they had refill stations.

We spent most of the time going into truck campers, campervans, and the huge, and often luxurious, expedition vehicles. Another favorite was the new Paragon built by Supertramp. They are based in Golden, CO. It was cool to watch people test drive trucks, Jeeps, and campers on two different outdoor tracks.

It was very entertaining. We saw starter vehicles, mini campers, and options up to very expensive, long term, off-grid machines! We went through some of the DYI campers for sale. We spent some time at the Timberleaf Trailers booth. They are based right here in Grand Junction. They make teardrop-style towable campers for overlanding and camping.

What Surprised Us

expedition rig at Overland Expo Mtn West with Paul Aspelin standing in front

These huge expedition rigs were fun to walk through

What surprised us was that we fit right in. Many attendees appeared to be in our age demographic. It wasn’t all about the younger crowd. We saw many retirees living the overland lifestyle.

Some manufacturers are so creative and innovative in their designs, and a few are really stuck in the past.

It was a very large event, much larger than the 2 Adventure Van Expos we have attended here in Colorado.

Grand Junction as Your Basecamp

People want to live in Grand Junction because it’s a wonderful basecamp for overlanding experiences. We live the outdoor lifestyle every day, every week. We are close to trails, Moab, mountains, lakes and rivers, tons of camping in campgrounds or disbursed camping (boondocking), 4×4 adventures, extensive public lands, and all the outdoor recreation you could ever want within a relatively short drive. We do lots of day trips and we love to stay overnight in some cool places to let the adventure continue! Overlanding from Grand Junction is a pretty cool lifestyle.

Read about our day trip to drive the Red Mountain Mining Area 4-wheel only trail between the quaint mountain towns of Ouray and Silverton.

We are so excited to continue to share all the Western Slope has to offer with our readers!

Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction!

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Guest Post by Michelle Aspelin
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by Michelle Aspelin

Local or Nearby Attractions

Just Driving Through: Rocky Mountain National Park

Guest Post by Michelle Aspelin

Our experience driving Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road through Rocky Mountain National Park

Hello…just driving through Rocky Mountain National Park to get from Point A to Point B, LOL.

That’s right, we took the extra scenic route from Grand Junction to Loveland, CO for the 2026 Overland Expo Mountain West, read that post.

When I started my research on how exactly to get to Loveland from Grand Junction, I wanted to take a route we had not been on before. When I realized Loveland is just east of Rocky Mountain National Park, I knew we would finally have a chance to drive Trail Ridge Road! I’ve had that on my list for a long time. It’s the longest, highest paved road in the United States. It’s closed in winter due to deep snowpack, so we have a limited window of opportunity to experience the alpine tundra above tree line.

Western Slope vs the Front Range

Paul has had people ask him if living on the Western Slope feels like we are missing out on what the Front Range has to offer. The answer is absolutely not.

If you are considering a move to Grand, do not worry. The Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs side of Colorado is heavily populated with an incredible number of things to do and see, if you are ok with heavy traffic and long lines. I-70 gets very busy during peak times in the fall, in the winter, and summer, and well, spring too. We would much rather drive east into the city than have to drive around in the city on a regular basis and fight the unpredictable traffic to get west.

Living in Grand Junction, we are close to the many wonderful attractions and outdoor activities on the front range. We don’t feel like we are missing out on anything.

What I find amazing is that we can drive through a stunning National Park just going from A to B. Everywhere we go in Colorado has the most beautiful and diverse landscapes. It’s one of the best parts of the lifestyle we enjoy living in western Colorado. And the lack of “traffic”.

We didn’t hesitate to go to the Overland Expo in Loveland. If we drove straight there via I-70, it would have taken us about 4.5 hours, without stops. But we didn’t want to drive into Denver and then north to Loveland and deal with the 3 lanes of chaotic traffic. That’s why we chose this more scenic, slower-paced route. It was well worth the extra time! Speaking of time, let’s talk about timed-entry.

Timed-Entry Permit for Rocky Mountain National Park

If you want to drive through Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) during the hours of 9am to 2pm, you need to purchase a $2/vehicle timed-entry permit from Recreation.gov. They can be purchased well in advance, or at 7pm the night before, depending on availability. The times may vary with the seasons so always check Recreation.gov when planning a trip through a national park.

Rocky Mountain National Park entrance sign with Paul waving from the 4Runner parked in front of the sign

Paul in the new 4Runner at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park

Initially, we chose to enter the western side after 2pm, no permit required. As it got closer to our trip, we realized we would be driving at 12,000’ elevation during the middle of the afternoon when thunderstorms with lightning, and potentially hail, are common. Not a good idea. So, we decided to try for a noon-2pm permit so we could enter the park anytime noon or later. I hopped on the computer at exactly 7pm the night before and snagged one of the 142 tickets available for that time slot.

When we got to Grand Lake, just outside the western Kawuneeche Visitor Center entrance gate, it was 11am. We were early. No problem. We sat on the beach of Grand Lake and ate lunch from a food shack that was right across the street. After a walk on the dock, we left and entered the park. We were glad we had the permit.

On our way back, we decided to get into the park before the 9am cut-off. We got to the Fall River Entrance Station about 8am and only waited in line behind a handful of cars. If the line was long, which it can be, and we didn’t get in before 9am, we would have to drive another route around the park entirely. From Loveland through Estes Park to the entrance is an absolutely stunning drive through the Big Thompson canyon, following the river by the same name. We loved it!

Taking Trail Ridge Road from West to East

Driving Trail Ridge Road

Because you can only drive Old Fall River Road from east to west, we took Trail Ridge Road first. OMG! It was so cool to be up so high for so long. Driving through the alpine tundra above tree line, looking like we were level with the nearby mountain tops, was fantastic. We made sure to drink plenty of water and we took our electrolyte tablets. Read our post about How to Avoid Altitude Sickness.

The speed limit along the road is about 25mph and many curves you slow down to 15mph so this is by no means a fast route. We drove at a leisurely pace. The road meanders around some lakes and ponds through the Kawuneeche Valley then started the steep accent from about 8,000’ to 10,000’. We stopped at the pull-outs and took pictures.

We summitted Milner Pass, the Continental Divide, at 10,759’ and continued higher to the Alpine Visitor Center at 11,796’. It’s the highest Visitor Center in the national park system. We soaked in the view, purchased our souvenirs, and continued on.

Alpine Sunflower along Trail Ridge Road on the Tundra Communities Trail

Alpine Sunflower along the Tundra Communities Trail

The next stop was to get out at Rock Cut and hike the short 1 mile round trip Tundra Communities Trail at 12,110’. The trail was steep at the start and Paul was struggling with breathing and a bit of altitude sickness, so he turned back. I continued to the end of the trail and got some great photos and videos of the alpine tundra wildflowers, rock formations, and the mountaintop views. It was windy, but I’m guessing it’s always windy up there. I loved it.

We continued down on the windy road with lots of switchbacks, through some dense subalpine forest. We exited the park and had dinner at Poppy’s right next to the Big Thompson River and paved river walk in downtown Estes Park.

Driving Old Fall River Road East to West

Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park with hazy mountains

Driving Old Fall River Road

We passed a herd of elk in downtown Estes Park on our way to the Fall River Entrance Station on the east side of the park. We drove through several valleys before getting to the entrance of the historic one-way, steep gravel road, Old Fall River Road. The road was built in 1920 as the first road for automobiles to cross the Continental Divide in the park. Yeah, it was steep. It was more like driving a motorized trail vs a road. A few cliffs and drop-offs with no guard rails. It reminded us of the Million Dollar Highway except it wasn’t paved.

The posted speed limit is 15mph so you need to be patient with this journey. The switchbacks were tight, some longer vehicles made three-point turns. We moseyed along. There were pullouts along the route so slow drivers could pull over and let others pass. If you notice more than 4 cars behind you on roads like this, be polite and pull over so they can pass you. You’ll enjoy the adventure much more if you don’t feel like you are being pushed. The other drivers will be thankful too.

Chasm Falls along Old Fall River Road

The highlight along this route was getting out to take the stairs down to Chasm Falls. A great way to get out and stretch and see some beautiful falls up close.

After that we stopped again at the Alpine Visitor Center then headed back through the Grand Lake and Granby, CO area.

One More Route Diversion

Instead of driving our exact same route from Kremmling, we headed south to Silverthorne and I-70. We stopped at an outlet store and ate lunch in town. On our way back we also had time to pick up a few things at Costco near Eagle/Gypsum. Always have to stop at Costco when we pass by. Filled up with gas too!

Overall, it was a wonderful trip to Loveland. We were only gone 2 nights, but it felt like a week. We felt like we really unplugged. Kind of had to since cell service was limited or not available at all while we were in the national park. The Expo on our day in-between kept us entertained and we loved the business speakers we attended. We love weekend trips like this to get away and immerse ourselves in nature and take in the glorious views of this great state. We are so thankful to call Grand Junction home. It makes doing adventures like this so easy!

Check out the social media platforms below. There are some videos posted about this trip.