Thunder Valley MX traffic

Reading this thread title, today, with Saturday’s race coming up…I was expecting to need to post…

“Hey, bro, you know this week’s race ain’t in Thunder Valley, right?” 😂

I've been to the Thunder Valley national twice and enjoyed it both times. Your knees aren't going to like my answer, but the best viewing is all the way at the top of the track. You can see the whole event from there pretty well, plus there are fewer people willing to hike all the way up there. 

Take your time and get all the way up there, past the bleachers, and I think you'll thank me. The spot I'm thinking about is the big, sweeping left-hand section which is essentially the 3rd turn (even though it's about 100 yards long,) right before they go downhill. You could get right up next to the fence when I went a few years back. 

Another good spot I managed to weasel into was the inside of the first turn, right below the announcer's tower. I was standing on the concrete foundation at the base of the steps up to the tower. I'm not sure if it's still allowed, but you can get roosted at the start of each moto while there. The viewing for the rest of the track isn't very good there, however. 

As for the parking, all bets are off. I didn't have too much trouble there, but I live in California and I'm used to 5MPH freeway traffic. 

Hey twodogs,

I like to go with Silver VIP. 

Very close parking, walk across the street to the pits/track.

Vary easy traffic in and out, due to north entrance to Golden vs south E470.

All day pit pass is key to a true fan.

Walking around the track/pits is the way to go.

I have attended since 2005, and I do this every year.

Good Luck...

He knows the race he is going to in June....

It was a joke…

No worries. 

The track is right off of of the highway (c470) so it's not too bad getting there, for general parking they have you park in the field south of the track and then either walk up the road or catch a school bus to the track proper. It's a trek but some of the best spectator areas are up on the hill, just past the TVMX sign or on the large left hander coming into the downhill. Just keep in mind the sun and altitude can be a brutal combo; the whole track has hardly any shade so bring some water and hydrate before hand. An umbrella and/or a folding chair is nice to have too. There's some spots on the infield where you can see a lot of the track too. Enjoy!

Water and umbrella is a must have at TV.  As posted above, the highest point on the hill is the best viewing.  2 years ago, Tomac took a banzai run at Roczen for 4 consecutive laps on the little downhill there and we had nearly front row seats.

Traffic is not too bad, the walk from the parking lot is too far, take the bus. I would allow 45-60 minutes for traffic, parking and taking the bus plus the front gate line can be long at the time you mention. If you do a VIP ticket you get preferred parking and a great spot to watch the race and also a tent to get out of the sun, plus food and drinks. Fun traack to watch and you will enjoy the event.

Was it sick when they ran it at night in 2008? Such a cool concept that they never did again, but I always thought that was cool. Imagine  red bud or budds Creek at night, probably a cool crisp 70°, that was just my favorite time to ride was always during the night practices

Thunder Valley is fun.  You'll park SE of track in pasture.  There will be swindlers trying to tell you where to park.  They will also try and tell you its 20 bucks to park but they can fuck off cause its free parking.  You can either walk a long god damn way up the hill or take the party bus up to track. Regardless Thunder Valley is a great track.  

Been there a couple times, inward traffic was not congested, but we always arrive around 10 to watch a little practice and walk around the pits.  Traffic out not too bad either, but definitely worse than in.  

Hot tip:  Each person bring a small cooler with water, the lines for water there were criminal both times we went.  My brother passed out in line waiting for water for over 45 minutes.  Missed a whole moto standing in line.  Haven't been back since, that was 3, maybe 4 years ago.  Hopefully it's better now. 

Double up on  whomever said 45-60 minutes if you get there around noon. Also, double up on bring water in small coolers. The interweb usually says coolers aren’t allowed but the minimum wage gate folks don’t care. Sunscreen is also a must, absolutely no shade at TV, not a single tree. Denver is a dry climate and folks from more humid climates don’t realize how dehydrated they are because the sweat dries quickly. If it’s 75+ you need to drink a lot of water. 
Big Head Todd and the Monsters play Red Rocks Amphitheater Saturday and Sunday night, right down the street. They usually put on a really good show and Red Rocks is awesome. 

Look at the Denver West area for hotels, really close to the track, may even see a bunch of teams in those hotels. You can usually find team semis in a those lots before and after the race. Denver Marriott West, Spring Hill Suites Denver West, etc.Colorado Mills mall is in that area. It has a lot of restaurants, nothing that’s out of this world but enough to feed you for a few days. 

It definitely had the potential to be cool but it wasn’t really well lit. They could have doubled the amount of light and it would have better for the riders. They stated it had had a bunch of shadows and dark spots. It was fine for the spectators but not great for the riders. 

I have an RV spot and 2 tickets to the race I'd let go for a good price is if a Vital member is interested. Had something pop up that may not allow me to attend. 

^This, about the hydration. It is dry AND at elevation, so your sweat, a lot of it, evaporates quickly. 

I sure hope you get to spend a least a few minutes outside of Denver on your trip!  Even if it's just a drive over Lookout Mountain...

Up the hill at Thunder Valley is excellent for viewing, but I personally like to hang out inside the track.

I think it really depends on what you want to do during the races.  If you want to find a spot and camp out there for the day, up the mountain is probably best, but it sounds like you want to be a little more mobile - and the middle of the track allows you to walk short distances to each different area of the track.

You can be at the first corner (very exciting), then walk like 20 feet to the spot where James Stewart crashed with the photographer, then you can head over to the mechanics area and watch that whole side of the track right under the big jump at the top, then head back over to the final corner right before the finish line.  So, there is a lot to see up close from the inside.  If you are feeling frisky, climb up to the Thunder Valley sign. 

See if you can get VIP parking too, it's totally worth it, but show up early to guarantee a spot.  I HATE parking in that satellite lot and catching the bus!

I never cared for the night race.  Was too dark, very sketchy, and seemed kind of gimmicky.  Looking back, it's hard to believe that they even attempted it.

Great advice on here. Definitely consider your parking options. We got there a bit late last year, getting in wasn't bad at all. But it put us all the way at the north end of free parking, and it's a looong walk down to the entrance which is at the south end. I think the south lot is paid parking and a bus ride? Their website doesn't show a map of parking. But it took forever to get out even after the looong walk back. Have a great time, great place to see a race!