Road trip guide: Conquering the Music Pass in Colorado
Music Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.260m (10,695ft) above the sea level located in Custer County in the U.S. state of Colorado.
Located in the Sangre De Cristo Mountain Range, in the San Luis Valley, within the San Isabel National Forest, the road to the summit is totally unpaved and pretty rough. It’s called Music Pass Road. It’s a gnarly drive in places on a steep, narrow road with difficult rocky stretches which includes driving over some odd rock ribs. It is tricky, but doable by high clearance vehicles with AWD or 4WD with good ground clearance.
Rapid weather changes occur year round without warning. Be prepared for anything, even snow in the summer months. It is not generally snow-free until late June or even July in some years. The road offers superb views of Tijeras and Cleveland Peaks and ends at the parking lot for the Music Pass Trailhead (with a parking area for about 15 vehicles) just one mile below the pass. Many years ago it was possible to drive a 4WD vehicle to the summit of Music Pass. There is now little evidence that the trail was once a road.
Pic: Kate Wegerson