Road trip guide: Conquering Denver Pass in Colorado

Denver Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3,660 m (12,007 ft) above sea level located in San Juan County, in the U.S. state of Colorado. It’s one of the highest roads in Colorado.

Denver Pass

Where is Denver Pass?

The pass is located south of the iconic Engineer Pass, in the southwestern part of Colorado, about 14 miles northeast of Silverton. Near the pass, there’s a beautiful lake known as Denver Lake.

Is Denver Pass unpaved?

The road to the summit is totally unpaved. It’s called County Road 2. A four-wheel drive vehicle is required. It has very steep parts, hitting a 10% maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Starting at Animas Forks, an extinct mining town, the ascent is 3.37 km (2.1 miles) long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 237 meters. The average gradient is 7.03%.

Is Denver Pass open in winter?

Set high in the San Juan Mountains, the road is totally impassable from November to May. Expect snow even in June.

 

 

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