Independence Pass (Colorado)
Encyclopedia
Independence Pass, elevation 12095 ft (3,686.6 m), is a high mountain pass
in the Rocky Mountains
of central Colorado
in the United States
.
The pass crosses the ridge of the Sawatch Range
between Aspen
and Leadville
, on the border between Pitkin
and Lake
counties, and is within the White River National Forest
. The pass connects the upper valley of the Roaring Fork River
, upstream from Aspen, with the headwaters of the Arkansas River
near Leadville. Being well above the tree line, the terrain type is tundra
. It is traversed by State Highway 82
, and is the second-highest paved mountain pass in Colorado, after Cottonwood Pass
. The road is narrow and steep with a 6.5% gradient, including tight switchbacks on each approach. Sections of the pass have a speed limit of 25 mph, with advisory limits on some switchbacks as low as 10 mph. Trucks and other large vehicles are prohibited from using the road; large RVs are allowed, however. The pass is closed after the first heavy snow fall in autumn, often opening only in late May or early June.
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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The pass crosses the ridge of the Sawatch Range
Sawatch Range
The Sawatch Range is a mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies....
between Aspen
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
and Leadville
Leadville, Colorado
Leadville is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only municipality in, Lake County, Colorado, United States. Situated at an elevation of , Leadville is the highest incorporated city and the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States...
, on the border between Pitkin
Pitkin County, Colorado
Pitkin County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is named in honor of the late Colorado Governor Frederick Walker Pitkin. The county population was 14,872 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Aspen...
and Lake
Lake County, Colorado
Lake County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The highest natural point in Colorado and the entire Rocky Mountains is the summit of Mount Elbert in Lake County at 14,440 feet elevation. The county population was 7,812 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat...
counties, and is within the White River National Forest
White River National Forest
White River National Forest is a National Forest in northwest Colorado. It is named after the White River that passes through it. It also contains the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, largely considered the birthplace of the U.S...
. The pass connects the upper valley of the Roaring Fork River
Roaring Fork River
Roaring Fork River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in west central Colorado in the United States. The river drains a populated and economically vital area of the Colorado Western Slope called the Roaring Fork Valley or Roaring Fork Watershed, which includes the resort...
, upstream from Aspen, with the headwaters of the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
near Leadville. Being well above the tree line, the terrain type is tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
. It is traversed by State Highway 82
Colorado State Highway 82
State Highway 82 is an 85.29 mile long state highway in the U.S. state of Colorado.-Route description:SH 82 provides the principal transportation artery of the Roaring Fork Valley on the Colorado Western Slope, running from Interstate 70 at Glenwood Springs southeast past Carbondale, Basalt...
, and is the second-highest paved mountain pass in Colorado, after Cottonwood Pass
Cottonwood Pass
Cottonwood Pass is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of south-central Colorado, United States. It is located near the border of Gunnison and Chaffee counties in Colorado and is in the Sawatch Range...
. The road is narrow and steep with a 6.5% gradient, including tight switchbacks on each approach. Sections of the pass have a speed limit of 25 mph, with advisory limits on some switchbacks as low as 10 mph. Trucks and other large vehicles are prohibited from using the road; large RVs are allowed, however. The pass is closed after the first heavy snow fall in autumn, often opening only in late May or early June.
External links
- Independence Pass Photos & Discussion Forum
- Topographic map from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps
- USGS TopoZone listing