Independence Pass

At its summit, Independence Pass crosses the Continental Divide, the great backbone of North America where waters part to flow toward opposite oceans. The pass tops out around 12,000 feet, high enough that the road climbs entirely above the treeline into open alpine tundra, a landscape of low cushion plants, rock, and snow that survives one of the harshest growing environments on the continent.

A short walk from the parking area at the top leads out onto the tundra, with views stretching across a sea of peaks in every direction. That tundra is extremely fragile, its tiny plants taking many years to grow and quick to be destroyed underfoot, so visitors are asked to stay on the marked paths and boardwalks to protect it.

The pass owes its existence to Colorado's silver boom. In the late 1800s, prospectors swarmed into these mountains, and a wagon road was pushed over the high divide to connect the diggings around Aspen with the outside world and the smelters to the east. The town of Independence, on the western slope of the pass, sprang up when gold was struck there, reportedly on Independence Day, which gave both the town and the pass their name.

The mining boom was brief. When richer strikes and the railroad reached Aspen by an easier route, the high, snowbound settlement of Independence emptied out, its residents said to have skied out over the pass in a hard winter when supplies ran short. The weathered log remains of the ghost town still stand along the highway on the western descent, a haunting reminder of the hard, hopeful lives lived at the edge of the possible.

The road over Independence Pass is not for the faint of heart. It climbs and descends in tight switchbacks, and long stretches on the eastern side narrow to a width where two cars can barely pass, requiring drivers to yield and cooperate. Because of this, the pass is closed to vehicles over a certain length, and everyone is advised to drive slowly and stay alert.

The high elevation brings its own hazards. Weather can change in minutes, with sun giving way to cold rain, hail, or even snow at the summit in the middle of summer, and thunderstorms build quickly in the afternoons. The thin air affects both people and engines. None of this should deter a prepared traveler, but it does mean the pass rewards respect, good timing, and a careful hand on the wheel.

On the western side, the pass road descends into the Roaring Fork Valley and the town of Aspen, a former silver-mining camp turned world-famous ski and cultural resort, ringed by some of Colorado's most celebrated peaks. The Maroon Bells, among the most photographed mountains in the country, lie just outside town, and the valley is rich with trails, festivals, and mountain scenery.

On the eastern side, the road drops toward the upper Arkansas River valley and Leadville, the highest incorporated city in the country and a place steeped in mining history. The pass thus links two very different worlds, the polished resort valley and the raw old mining country, over the shared high wall of the Continental Divide.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.