1

It depends on whether you prefer only rock or snow and ice for a scenery - Madonna di Campiglio lies right between the Dolomiti di Brenta and Adamello-Presanella, a mighty group of mountains with extended glaciers. Stelvio National Park includes the area around Ponte di Legno-Tonale, right at the border between Lombardia and Trentino. If you prefer ice over rocks, Ponte di Legno is the ideal starting point, it's linked to Tonale pass by a modern cable car and pristine territories can be easily reached walking, or using the Passo Gavia road (open approx from ned may/early June to end September) that reaches to 2600 m.

Descending from Passo Gavia you can reach two other ideal bases, Santa Caterina Valfurva and Bormio. Or, on the South Tyrol side, the Stelvio road proper takes you to Sölden/Solda, Trafopi and Prato/Prad am Stlfserjoch.

Mind you, all I wrote is about summer, you don't say when you are going to travel. At this time of the year Stelvio and Gavia roads are already closed and you can already ski at Passo Tonale.

2

I will be there the second week of July. I am not sure if I will have one or two days in the area. I am still working out the itinerary. We love scenic drives as well. If you could only pick one area to see (driving and hiking) which would it be? If you could only do one hike in any of those areas which would it be? We prefer hikes with open views and fantastic scenery. I don't have a preference of snow vs rock. We will then head over to Val Gardena and Alta Badia regions of the Dolomites.

3

I suppose that with "Lakes district", you mean Lake Como. so you will probably drive from Milan to Como - Menaggio - Colico - Sondrio - Aprica Pass - Edolo - Capo di Ponte and then head back (a few kms only) to Edolo.

Then you proceed to Val Gherdeina/Val Gardena/Groednertal.

The shortest itinerary between these 2 points goes via Ponte di Legno - Tonale Pass - Ossana - Dimaro - Male - Mendelpass/Passo Mendola - Bozen/Bolzano - Ponte Gardena. Good hiking possiblities around Peio (north of Ossana) or Alpe di Siusi (on a panoramic Provincial road (SP 24 and 64) between Bozen/Bolzano and Urtijei/Ortisei/St. Ulrich in Val Gherdeina/Val Gardena/Groednertal, both a few kms off the itinerary. I don't know Madonna di Campiglio (about 15 kms south of Dimaro)

Personally, I prefer the longer itinerary via Ponte di Legno - Passo Gavia - Santa Caterina Valfurva - Bormio - Stelvio Pass - Trafoi - Gomagoi - Spondinig/Spondigna - Meran/Merano to Bozen/Bolzano.
There is a very good panoramic hike from Stelvio Pass via Piz da las Trais Linguas/Dreisprachenspitze to Goldsee/Lago d'Oro - Furkelhuette/Rifugio Forcola, from where you can go down to Trafoi by cableway (or on foot). But then, you will most probably need the service of one of the 2 Trafoi taxis in order to go back to Stelvio Pass for getting to your car. Public transport is very poor between Trafoi and Passo Stelvio.

There are also scenic trails around Sulden/Solda, about 6 kms south of Gomagoi.

Google for these places and load down some pictures in order to get an idea.

4

Thank you for the help. I appreciate it.

5

You're welcome.
BTW: If you go to the more remote rock carvings around Capo di Ponte too, you can easily hike a whole day in this area
http://www.rupestre.net/alps/valca_sites.html
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/94/multiple=1&unique_number=101
http://www.rupestre.net/items/sentieri_arterupestre.html