Dallas Divide
Encyclopedia
Dallas Divide is a high mountain pass
in the United States
state of Colorado
located on State Highway 62
about 12 miles (19.3 km) west of the town of Ridgway
.
The pass is a saddle between the San Juan Mountains
to the south and the Uncompahgre Plateau
to the north and divides the Uncompahgre River
watershed from the San Miguel River
watershed and Ouray County
from San Miguel County
. The pass takes its name from Dallas Creek which drains the basin on the north side of Mount Sneffels
into the Uncompahgre River.
The summit is not marked at the top, so travelers over the road may not notice they have just traversed the divide. The approach on either side is mild and does not cause many cars or trucks problems in winter.
A toll road was first constructed over Dallas Divide in 1880 linking the town of Dallas
near Ridgway with Telluride
. In 1890 the Rio Grande Southern Railroad
was built over the divide from Ridgway to Telluride.
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 United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of 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...
located on State Highway 62
Colorado State Highway 62
State Highway 62 is a 23.41 mile long state highway in the U.S. state of Colorado.-Route description:SH 62 starts at a junction with just north of Ridgeway in the San Miguel River valley and heads northeast up the Leopard Creek Canyon. The highway bends slowly to the east before crossing the...
about 12 miles (19.3 km) west of the town of Ridgway
Ridgway, Colorado
The Town of Ridgway, coined Gateway to the San Juans, is a Home Rule Municipality in Ouray County, in the southwestern portion of the U.S. State of Colorado. The town is a former railroad stop on the Uncompaghre River in the northern San Juan Mountains...
.
The pass is a saddle between the San Juan Mountains
San Juan Mountains
The San Juan Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and...
to the south and the Uncompahgre Plateau
Uncompahgre Plateau
The Uncompahgre Plateau in western Colorado is a distinctive large uplift part of the Colorado Plateau. Uncompahgre is a Ute Indian word that describes the water: "Dirty Water" or "Rocks that make Water Red"....
to the north and divides the Uncompahgre River
Uncompahgre River
The Uncompahgre River is a tributary of the Gunnison River, approximately 75 mi long, in southwestern Colorado in the United States. Lake Como at 12,215 ft in northern San Juan County, in the Uncompahgre National Forest in the northwestern San Juan Mountains is the headwaters of the...
watershed from the San Miguel River
San Miguel River (Colorado)
The San Miguel River is a tributary of the Dolores River, approximately 90 mi long in southwestern Colorado in the United States...
watershed and Ouray County
Ouray County, Colorado
Ouray County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado in the United States. The county population was 3,742 at U.S. Census 2000. As of 2010, U.S. Census data place the population at 4,436. The county seat is the City of Ouray...
from San Miguel County
San Miguel County, Colorado
San Miguel County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county is named for the San Miguel River. The county population was 6,594 at U.S. Census 2000...
. The pass takes its name from Dallas Creek which drains the basin on the north side of Mount Sneffels
Mount Sneffels
Mount Sneffels is a fourteen thousand foot mountain peak in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness of the northern San Juan Mountains, in Ouray County approximately 5 miles west of the town of Ouray. The summit of Mount Sneffels is the highest point in Ouray...
into the Uncompahgre River.
The summit is not marked at the top, so travelers over the road may not notice they have just traversed the divide. The approach on either side is mild and does not cause many cars or trucks problems in winter.
A toll road was first constructed over Dallas Divide in 1880 linking the town of Dallas
Dallas, Colorado
Dallas was a town in Ouray County, Colorado, United States. It lay about 3 miles north of the present town of Ridgway at the confluence of Dallas Creek and the Uncompahgre River...
near Ridgway with Telluride
Telluride, Colorado
The town of Telluride is the county seat and most populous town of San Miguel County in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Colorado. The town is a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River in the western San Juan Mountains...
. In 1890 the Rio Grande Southern Railroad
Rio Grande Southern Railroad
The Rio Grande Southern Railroad was a narrow gauge railroad which ran from Durango to Ridgway in the western part of the US state of Colorado...
was built over the divide from Ridgway to Telluride.
See also
- :Category:Mountain passes of Colorado
- Ouray County, ColoradoOuray County, ColoradoOuray County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado in the United States. The county population was 3,742 at U.S. Census 2000. As of 2010, U.S. Census data place the population at 4,436. The county seat is the City of Ouray...
- San Juan MountainsSan Juan MountainsThe San Juan Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and...
- San Juan Skyway National Scenic Byway
- San Miguel County, ColoradoSan Miguel County, ColoradoSan Miguel County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county is named for the San Miguel River. The county population was 6,594 at U.S. Census 2000...
- State of Colorado