A brutal but stunning road to Santa Fe Peak
Santa Fe Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 4.008m (13,149ft) above the sea level, located in eastern Summit County, Colorado, in USA. The road to the summit may be intimidating to novice drivers. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Colorado.
Located within the White River National Forest, the road to the summit is totally unpaved. It’s a narrow shelf road following a long series of switchbacks with a severe drop off to one side. It’s called Santa Fe Peak Road (#264). It’s an old mining road. There are many switchbacks at the start, but most are wide enough for passing other vehicles.
4 wheel drive with high clearance is required. The summit offers stunning views of the peaks of the Gore, Tenmile and Front ranges. The trail is fairly easy though bumpy in spots. Winter comes early and stays late on this trail, so you may only be able to safely run it in the middle of the summer.
The road to the summit is very steep. Starting from the Town of Montezuma, the ascent is 7.56km (4.7 miles) long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 855 meters. The average percentage is 11.30 %.
Pic: Computer Works