Guanella Pass
Encyclopedia
Guanella Pass is a high mountain pass
in the Rocky Mountains
of central Colorado
, US.
The pass is located in southwestern Clear Creek County
, in the Front Range
west of Denver
and south of Georgetown
.
The pass provides a route between Georgetown in the valley of Clear Creek
to the north and Grant
in the valley of Geneva Creek
, a tributary of the North Fork South Platte River
, to the south. The pass is traversed by the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway. The road normally provided a link between Interstate 70 to the north and U.S. Highway 285 to the south, but after Aug. 21, 2009 an unstable hillside closed the road to through access just below the Cabin Creek Campground
This closure has since been cleared and the pass is fully available to traffic. As of 09/03/2011 the Georgetown access to the pass is open through the pass and the road, drainage, slide security and accident prevention measures are completed.
The entire route is suitable for passenger cars. Expect heavy washboard sections along the route that is currently not paved (EG the southern end of the road as it exits to 285). The road is no longer maintained in the winter and expect closure after the first heavy snow in the winter. There is a parking area at the closure gate on the Georgetown side of the pass to allow access to the pass by foot or snowmobile during the winter.
At the summit of the pass, hiking trails lead west to Mount Bierstadt
(el. 14,060 ft./4285 m.) among other places.
The Geneva Basin Ski Area
which existed from 1963-1984 was located just a few miles south of the pass.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
of central Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, US.
The pass is located in southwestern Clear Creek County
Clear Creek County, Colorado
Clear Creek County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 9,322 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Georgetown...
, in the Front Range
Front Range
The Front Range is a mountain range of the Southern Rocky Mountains of North America located in the north-central portion of the U.S. State of Colorado and southeastern portion of the U.S. State of Wyoming. It is the first mountain range encountered moving west along the 40th parallel north across...
west of Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and south of Georgetown
Georgetown, Colorado
The historic town of Georgetown is a Territorial Charter Municipality that is the county seat of Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. The former silver mining camp along Clear Creek in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains was established in 1859 during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush...
.
The pass provides a route between Georgetown in the valley of Clear Creek
Clear Creek (Colorado)
Clear Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long, in north central Colorado in the United States. The creek flows through Clear Creek Canyon in the Rocky Mountains directly west of Denver, descending through a long gorge to emerge on the Colorado Eastern Plains where it...
to the north and Grant
Grant, Colorado
Grant is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office in Park County, Colorado, United States. The community is located in foothills of the Front Range in the Platte Canyon, in the upper valley of the North Fork South Platte River, approximately 6 miles east of Kenosha Pass. It sits along U.S....
in the valley of Geneva Creek
Geneva Creek (Colorado)
Geneva Creek is a short tributary of the North Fork South Platte River, approximately long, in central Colorado in the United States. It drains part of the Rocky Mountains southwest of Denver in northern Park County. It rises at the continental divide west of Mount Bierstadt and descends through a...
, a tributary of the North Fork South Platte River
North Fork South Platte River
The North Fork South Platte River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately 50 miles long, in central Colorado in the United States...
, to the south. The pass is traversed by the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway. The road normally provided a link between Interstate 70 to the north and U.S. Highway 285 to the south, but after Aug. 21, 2009 an unstable hillside closed the road to through access just below the Cabin Creek Campground
This closure has since been cleared and the pass is fully available to traffic. As of 09/03/2011 the Georgetown access to the pass is open through the pass and the road, drainage, slide security and accident prevention measures are completed.
The entire route is suitable for passenger cars. Expect heavy washboard sections along the route that is currently not paved (EG the southern end of the road as it exits to 285). The road is no longer maintained in the winter and expect closure after the first heavy snow in the winter. There is a parking area at the closure gate on the Georgetown side of the pass to allow access to the pass by foot or snowmobile during the winter.
At the summit of the pass, hiking trails lead west to Mount Bierstadt
Mount Bierstadt
Mount Bierstadt is a mountain in the Front Range region of the Rocky Mountains, in Clear Creek County, Colorado. It is one of 54 fourteeners in Colorado. It is located approximately 1.5 miles WSW of Mount Evans. The nearest major city is Denver...
(el. 14,060 ft./4285 m.) among other places.
The Geneva Basin Ski Area
Geneva Basin Ski Area
Geneva Basin Ski Area opened in 1963. Geneva Basin was developed by an Illinois family after their Indianhead Ski Area in Michigan, . Indianhead closed in 1965 and the property was auctioned off to former Colorado Governor Roy Romer and the Burk Family...
which existed from 1963-1984 was located just a few miles south of the pass.
External links
- Topographic map from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps
- USGS TopoZone listing