Those looking for a long scenic drive through Colorado now have more options after heavy snow has been cleared from several scenic mountain passes.
Independence Pass
Independence Pass, a quintessential scenic byway that connects Aspen to Twin Lakes, is open for the 2024 summer season. The pass which “almost always” opens the Thursday before Memorial Day saw its opening day pushed back to May 31 to allow crews to clear snow from winter and late spring storms, conduct avalanche mitigation and repair a 5-foot-by-7-foot sinkhole, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The steep and narrow 32-mile pass twists and turns around aspen groves and hugs the Roaring Fork River before peaking in the windblown tundra of Colorado’s alpine. It tops out at 12,095 feet along the Continental Divide.
The pass also crosses through three federally designated wilderness areas — Hunter-Fryingpan, Collegiate Peaks and Mount Massive — and has several campgrounds and trailheads.
About 1,400 cars travel over the pass between Twin Lakes and Aspen each day, according to CDOT.
Guanella Pass
Guanella Pass, another scenic byway that climbs from Georgetown to Grant is also open for the summer. As the 24-mile pass climbs above treeline, drivers can catch a glimpse of several mountain peaks, including fourteeners Mount Bierstadt and Mount Blue Sky, and the 13,743-foot Argentine Peak. Guanella Pass ambles through two national forests on its way from I-70 to U.S. 285 and climbs to an elevation of 11,670 feet in 12 miles.
Trail Ridge Road
Trail Ridge Road, which winds through Rocky Mountain National Park to connect Estes Park and Grand Lake, opened May 31. The road historically opens Memorial Day weekend, but May storms with significant winds at higher elevations hampered snow plowing operations, spokesperson Kyle Patterson said.
Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the U.S. and climbs to 12,183 feet. The latest the road has ever opened was June 26, 1943, Patterson said.
Because road conditions along the high-altitude road can change quickly, the national park recommends visitors be prepared to adjust travel plans at any time and are encouraged to call the park to check the road’s conditions at 970-586-1222.
Colorado 5
Colorado 5 is also open for the season for those looking to drive up to the 14,130-foot summit of Mount Blue Sky.
Kebler Pass
Kebler Pass opened May 31, giving an alternate route for those traveling between Gunnison, Montrose and Lake City after the U.S. 50 bridge shutdown. Sheep herds that are often accompanied by working sheepdogs graze on the high mountain pass, which reaches 10,007 feet. Officials urge drivers to not interact with the livestock guardian dogs while they do their jobs to protect the herds.
As of Friday, crews with Gunnison County spent 2,992 hours preparing Kebler this year, including 500 hours of overtime, to clear the snow and place gravel over the road, said Martin Schmidt with the county’s public works department. The county has spent about $325,000, which is about 10% over budget, to keep the 33-mile pass in good condition for the increased flow in traffic.
Schmidt said he expects there will be more costs.
While the pass gives another option for those impacted by the Blue Mesa bridge closure, it’s not a viable route for high amounts of traffic or heavy trucks, he said.
“The biggest benefit is that the road is open 24 hours a day,” he said, “but it is still a high mountain pass with tight, winding corners, no cell service, and variable weather conditions.”