GREAT Colorado Getaways - EnCompass Magazine Online

Great Colorado Getaways

Mountain Roads

By Eric Lindberg

As winter retreats from Colorado's high peaks and ridges, the icy upper elevations thaw, and a delicate alpine world of tundra grasses, flowers and tiny plants flourishes in the summer sun. Birds and animals return, and for a few glorious months, this sparse landscape buzzes with life. Most of these lofty heights can only be reached on foot, horseback, or by rugged Jeep routes. But in several places, roads climb high above tree line, allowing easy access to this fragile land of rock and sky. Here are six Colorado high roads that can be explored by passenger car.

Photo: Eric Wunrow / CTO

Cottonwood Pass

Outside the town of Buena Vista, the road to Cottonwood Pass soon leaves the sage flats and slips into the mighty Sawatch Range. You'll quickly feel dwarfed; there are more 14,000-foot mountains in the area than anyplace else in America.

Follow Cottonwood Creek up the canyon, passing Rainbow Lake and several beaver ponds, until the trees dwindle around timberline. Hairpin curves traverse the steep slopes. The part gravel, part paved road crests along the Continental Divide at 12,126 feet. To the east, Mt. Princeton towers above the surrounding peaks.

In summer, cyclists come to tackle these mountain roads. A guided group huffs their way to the pass and stops to rest and pose for photos. Mark McWilliams, a doctor from Connecticut, flops onto a nearby boulder.

"This thin air is tough on the lungs," he gasps. "But you can't beat the view." He points to the other side, where the road drops down to Taylor Park Reservoir and eventually Gunnison. "And it's all downhill from here."

Guanella Pass

Plan to spend at least half a day exploring this route between the Victorian town of Georgetown and the village of Grant. From Georgetown, the Guanella Pass Road follows South Clear Creek for much of the way, passing beaver ponds and a large reservoir. Thick stands of aspen, spruce, fir and pine at lower elevations gradually thin out, replaced by moist subalpine meadows threaded with streams.

Past timberline, tundra sprawls in every direction. As the road crests at 11,666 feet, a panorama of peaks—including one of the state's fourteeners, Mount Bierstadt—comes into view. The trailhead for the summit is here, and on summer weekends the parking lot fills quickly.

Down the other side past Duck Lake, the road skirts several grassy parks, then switchbacks into Geneva Creek Canyon, following the creek through thick forests to Grant. The road is a mix of paved and gravel, and not recommended for large RVs.

Photo: Eric Lindberg

Independence Pass

It could be the lack of dust and potholes along this 42-mile paved road that makes it so popular. Or maybe it's because Aspen's cafes and watering holes await at the other end. No matter the reason, the views are stunning.

From the east, Independence Pass Road begins at Highway 24, staying fairly straight and level as it passes Twin Lakes Reservoir. Passing through Mountain Boy Gulch, the road climbs sharply as it enters a sub-alpine valley. There are few guardrails, so leave the rubbernecking to your passengers. At 12,095 feet, the top of the pass is a rarified world of shallow snowmelt ponds and tundra speckled with yellow and purple flowers. Pikas squeak from nearby jumbles of granite. The air is 15 degrees cooler here than down below.

At the parking lot, travelers stretch their legs and wander the short path to a viewpoint across the valley. A young family from Cheyenne spills out of a camper van. Studying the surrounding peaks, the father says to no one in particular, "This is the real Colorado."

Continuing west, the road drops quickly, passing the ghost town of Independence and narrowing in places as it follows Roaring Fork River into Aspen.

Mt. Evans

With moderate to heavy traffic along the Mt. Evans Scenic Byway in summer, don't expect solitude. The main attraction here is altitude; nowhere else in North America can you drive this high by paved road. Wildlife viewing is good, with a chance to see bighorn sheep, mountain goat, marmot and pika.

Leaving timberline shortly after Echo Lake, the road skirts Mount Goliath Natural Area, where some of the oldest trees on Earth (bristlecone pines) cling to rocky slopes. Past Summit Lake the road climbs five more miles to the parking lot at 14,130 feet. A quarter-mile trail leads to the summit. The remains of Crest House, destroyed by fire in 1979, are a good place to enjoy views of the Continental Divide and beyond.

Photo: Eric Lindberg

Trail Ridge Road

Following a route once used by Ute and Arapahoe Indians, Trail Ridge Road is America's highest continuous highway. Traversing Rocky Mountain National Park for 48 miles from east to west, it rises above 11,000 feet for more than 11 miles, and climbs above 12,000 feet for four miles.

The road begins among the pine forests and open parks where elk bugle during the fall rut. Entering the subalpine zone of fir and spruce, it winds upward to exposed ridges where trees blasted into tortured postures by wind and ice slant away downhill. Stop along the turnouts for panoramic views.

At timberline, the last gnarled trees and stunted shrubs make way for alpine tundra. This diminutive realm of tiny plants survives in one of the harshest climates in the world. Temperatures remain below freezing all winter, and winds can exceed 150 miles per hour. Yet during the brief summer, this miniature landscape explodes with life, supporting more than 100 species of flowering plants.

Several paved trails allow a closer look at the tiny world at your feet. From the high point of 12,183 feet near the visitors center, travelers can continue west to Grand Lake and Fraser Valley, or return to Estes Park and the plains.

Weston Pass

In 1879 this was one of the state's busiest roads, as hundreds of people traveled to Leadville daily by stagecoach. These days the 16-mile dirt road from U.S. 285 to Weston Pass is quiet, lending a sense of exploration. The slow pace is perfect for rolling down windows and tasting the fresh mountain air.

Photo: Eric Lindberg

The route begins in open sage country where bluebirds perch on fence posts and dart out to snatch insects. The land soon turns interesting, climbing through pine and aspen into a lush, green valley following the south fork of the South Platte River.

Ramshackle miners' cabins dot the hillsides. The road is potholed and scattered with small rocks, but with patience it's easily navigable by passenger car.

From the parking area at the 11,921-foot pass, faint trails snake up the rocky hillsides. Continuing on the road west of here will require a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle. Hikers appear silhouetted on distant ridges. Take time to walk away from your car and enjoy the emptiness, the cool breeze and the sprawling sky above.

Eric Lindberg is a Lakewood-based writer and photographer.

Traveling on Colorado's high roads

The roads described here are open in summer only. Exact dates depend on snow conditions. These drives can be done with a standard passenger car. Large RVs may have difficulty on the narrower roads. Higher elevations can be much cooler than the valleys below. Wind and rain are common on summer afternoons. Bring water, hat and sunscreen if you plan to explore on foot. If lightning and thunder threaten, stay inside your car.

Tundra is fragile and easily crushed by hikers' boots. Stay on established trails and roads. Keep dogs on leash and clean up after them. As with all public land, take your litter with you.