A memorable road trip to Spring Creek Pass in CO

Spring Creek Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.323m (10,901ft) above the sea level, located in Hinsdale County, in the U.S. state of Colorado

Spring Creek Pass

Located in the San Juan Mountains, within the Gunnison National Forest, the road to the summit is paved. It’s called Colorado State Highway 149, also known as Silver Thread Scenic Byway. It's one of the highest paved roads of Colorado. It has a few switchbacks and tight spots, but other than that, most travelers will find it an easy, scenic route. The climb is pretty steep, and hits a 7.5% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. It’s one of the steepest paved mountain passes of Colorado.

This narrow two lane road is maintained year-round because snowplows clear the route regularly during this season. But beware poor conditions in winter. The pass is 80km (50 miles) long running from the town of Lake City (in Hinsdale County) to the historic city of Creede (in Mineral County).