INDEPENDENCE PASS

Breaking News

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque vehicula, diam quis condimentum pharetra, leo arcu hendrerit sem, quis mattis tellus nulla sit amet metus. Donec et dui magna. Integer elementum enim nisi, eu congue tellus aliquet eget. Maecenas nec nunc eu neque faucibus dapibus. Etiam semper sem non purus porta lobortis. Fusce vulputate, risus a gravida scelerisque, lorem justo elementum diam, non euismod sem lectus et diam. Nullam condimentum eros at arcu dignissim, vitae hendrerit tellus commodo. Sed rhoncus lacinia lacinia. Maecenas vitae maximus lorem. Phasellus mattis convallis nunc, et volutpat est accumsan scelerisque. Morbi rutrum malesuada efficitur. Aliquam id nulla orci. Cras ut volutpat nibh, ac finibus lectus.

Morbi auctor odio sit amet feugiat ultrices. Sed sed lectus finibus, tincidunt nibh quis, luctus ligula. Maecenas viverra ipsum eu rutrum dignissim. Aenean luctus, lacus in auctor aliquam, justo neque aliquet nibh, sit amet tempor tortor justo vitae odio. Mauris finibus ligula in hendrerit vulputate. Donec egestas, lectus et sagittis blandit, lacus turpis scelerisque nulla, ac tincidunt enim ante in tellus. Pellentesque viverra et dolor ultrices volutpat. Suspendisse ac elementum massa. Donec dapibus lectus id arcu malesuada, in convallis ex lacinia. Fusce elementum ultrices luctus. Sed pharetra quis sem et malesuada. Sed tristique tortor mi, at pulvinar mi dictum eu. Aenean cursus consequat ipsum eu lobortis. Praesent lectus est, fermentum at porta in, elementum a odio. Suspendisse eget elit placerat, tempor tortor ut, placerat orci. Aenean fringilla consequat elit.

Fusce tincidunt nunc sit amet mi suscipit, sit amet mattis velit hendrerit. Etiam in tempus sem. Aliquam accumsan interdum felis facilisis blandit. Nunc sed ullamcorper lectus. Mauris et rutrum nisi. Cras consectetur diam eu est congue eleifend. Fusce id leo commodo, posuere urna quis, suscipit nibh. Nunc egestas, nibh quis imperdiet iaculis, nunc lectus porta odio, ut tincidunt nunc lectus sit amet turpis. Mauris mauris turpis, feugiat vel nisi sagittis, varius auctor ligula. Vestibulum porta sed turpis quis pretium. In viverra, nisi eu vulputate rhoncus, tortor ligula iaculis nibh, volutpat pulvinar nibh nulla ut ipsum. Sed iaculis varius velit eu bibendum. Nulla eget ligula sit amet erat sollicitudin ullamcorper. Proin eget blandit mi.

Book Your Trip

 

Independence Pass, part of Colorado State Highway 82, passes over the Continental Divide between Leadville and Aspen, Colorado. In addition to being a scenic byway, Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, is a favorite recreation location during the summer months.

Independence Pass is CLOSED for the 2019/2020 winter season. 

 

At 12,095ft at the summit, Independence Pass is the highest paved pass in the state. Depending on snow accumulation, the Colorado Department of Transportation closes the highway at the Winter Gate, 5 miles east of Aspen. Visit cotrip.org for up-to-date road closure information. Do not rely on your GPS for directions if the pass is closed. 

Independence Pass Hiking Trails:

Green Circle (Easy): Blue Square (Moderate): Black Diamond (Difficult):
Discovery/Braille Trail
Grottos Trail
Weller Lake		 Difficult Creek Trail
Grizzly Lake Trail
Lincoln Creek Road
North Fork Lake Creek Trail
Anderson & Petroleum Lakes
Tabor Creek Trail		 Linkins Lake Trail
Lost Man Trail
Midway Creek Trail
New York Creek Trail

 

 

 

 

 

*Visit other Aspen area hiking trails here. 

 

 

Biking Rock Climbing Camping Point of Interest
Road biking on Independence; Pass/Highway 82 is a popular route in the summer. The road climbs to the continental divide at the top of the Pass (12,095 ft.). The road is open to traffic and is extremely narrow in some sections. Be alert to all car traffic, which is especially heavy on summer weekends. From Aspen to the peak of the pass is about 20 miles, but riders can turn around at any point and return to town.

Each spring the cycling season kicks off with the Annual Ride for the Pass event which takes place every May before the road is open to car traffic.		 Independence Pass Rock Climbing offers short approaches and a large variety of climbs, both trad/mixed and sports climbing is available. Fee-based camping on the Aspen side of Independence Pass is available at Difficult Campground, Weller Campground, Lincoln Gulch and Lost Man Campground. Free camping can be found along Lincoln Creek Road. The Grottos Ice Caves: 9 miles east of Aspen (.9 miles past Weller Campground), pull into the day use parking area on the right-hand side of the highway. From the parking lot, you will see picnic areas popular with families along with hiking trails leading to waterfalls, rock formations & ice caves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Independence Ghost Town:  Continental Divide: 
16 miles east of Aspen is the historic ghost town of Independence. Once a thriving mining town with over 40 businesses and an estimated population of 1,500. Today you can view the remains of miner's cabins, the Farewell Stamp Mill, Stables, and the General Store. The midway point between Aspen and Twin Lakes, Colorado, Independence Pass is on the border between Pitkin and Lake Counties and is the dividing point between watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean vs. those that drain into the Atlantic Ocean. You are at 12,095ft, so the weather can be unpredictable. There is ample parking and a scenic overlook where you can take in the 360-degree views.

 

 

 

 

 

North Star Nature Preserve Winter Recreation
The North Star Nature Preserve, Where the Roaring Fork Whispers, is a wonderful place to recreate, just east of Aspen and before you reach the "winter" gate to Independence Pass. You can explore this area on foot, or from the river, but please make sure to do so respectfully as it is a nature preserve that also passes through private land. Stand-Up paddling, kayaking, and tubing down the river are popular ways to cool off in the summer.
Visit www.northstaraspen.com for information on how to enjoy responsibly.		 Highway 82 is closed at the Winter Gate, 5 miles east of Aspen, around the beginning of November each year. However, visitors are still able to enjoy recreational opportunities on the closed, snow packed road.

Cross Country skiers will enjoy the groomed trail for both classic and skate skiing jaunts. 

Snowshoers and hikers can also enjoy the same access to the road.

Snowmobilers are also able to utilize the road, providing access to ski mountaineering adventures further from the parking lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE GROTTOS
INDEPENDENCE GHOST TOWN
NORTH STAR NATURE PRESERVE