Denver gets 300 days of sunshine, but winter temps still plunge below freezing. Drive south through New Mexico and Arizona or head to Texas for warm desert conditions and Gulf Coast beaches.
Denver → Albuquerque → Socorro → Tucson → Phoenix
Drop south through the Rio Grande Valley into the warm Sonoran Desert. Phoenix’s winter highs regularly hit the 70s, and the saguaro-studded landscape is unlike anything in Colorado.
Denver → Trinidad → Santa Fe → Truth or Consequences → Las Cruces
Head south along the front range to the art capital of the Southwest. Santa Fe offers warm adobe charm, then continue to the hot springs of Truth or Consequences and the warm Mesilla Valley.
Denver → Amarillo → Austin → San Antonio → Corpus Christi
Cross the Texas Panhandle and keep driving south until you hit the warm Gulf Coast. Austin and San Antonio offer great food and culture stops along the way.
Denver → Albuquerque → Flagstaff → Joshua Tree → San Diego
Follow old Route 66 west through New Mexico and Arizona, detour through the otherworldly Joshua Tree National Park, and end at San Diego’s perfect year-round climate.
Denver → Durango → Monument Valley → Sedona → Jerome
Take the scenic southwestern route through Durango and Monument Valley to reach the red-rock paradise of Sedona. Winter temps hover in the 50s–60s with stunning clear skies.