Willow Creek Pass (Colorado)
Encyclopedia
Willow Creek Pass is a high mountain pass
in the Rocky Mountains
of north central Colorado
.
in the Rabbit Ears Range
along the border between Jackson County
(to the north) and Grand County
(to the south). North of the pass, the Illinois River
descends into North Park in the basin of the North Platte River
. South of the pass, Willow Creek
, for which the pass is named, descends southward to join the Colorado River near the town of Granby
in Middle Park
.
The pass is not an especially high one along the continental divide in Colorado, since the mountains separating North Park and Middle Park are relative low compared to nearby ranges. The approach from either side is mild and the pass is rarely closed in winter. The vicinity of the pass is sparsely populated, with no major communities in the vicinity. The pass is traversed by State Highway 125
. The nearest commercial facilities are in the unincorporated community of Rand
in Jackson County just north 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 north 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...
.
Overview
The pass encompasses the continental divideContinental divide
A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not connected to the open sea...
in the Rabbit Ears Range
Rabbit Ears Range
The Rabbit Ears Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado in the United States. The range stretches east-west along the continental divide forming the border between Grand and Jackson Counties, separating Middle Park from North Park...
along the border between Jackson County
Jackson County, Colorado
Jackson County is the fourth-least densely populated of the Colorado 64 counties of the U.S. state of Colorado. The county population was 1,577 at the 2000 Census. The county seat and the only municipality in the county is the Town of Walden.- History :...
(to the north) and Grand County
Grand County, Colorado
Grand County is the 21st largest of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 12,442 at U.S. Census 2000...
(to the south). North of the pass, the Illinois River
Illinois River (Colorado)
Illinois River is a tributary of the Michigan River, approximately long, in Jackson County in north central Colorado. It drains part of the North Park basin south of Walden....
descends into North Park in the basin of the North Platte River
North Platte River
The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately long counting its many curves, It travels about distance. Its course lies in the U.S...
. South of the pass, Willow Creek
Willow Creek (Colorado)
Willow Creek is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in north central Colorado in the United States.It rises in northwestern Grand County, in the Arapaho National Forest south of Willow Creek Pass at the continental divide. It flows southeast, through Willow Creek Reservoir and...
, for which the pass is named, descends southward to join the Colorado River near the town of Granby
Granby, Colorado
The Town of Granby is a Statutory Town that is the most populous town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. Granby is situated along U.S. Highway 40 in Middle Park about west of Denver, Colorado, southwest of Rocky Mountain National Park...
in Middle Park
Middle Park (Colorado basin)
Middle Park is a high basin in the Rocky Mountains of north-central Colorado in the United States. It is located in Grand County, on the southwest slope of Rocky Mountain National Park, approximately 50 miles west of Boulder.-Description:The basin surrounds the headwaters of the Colorado River...
.
The pass is not an especially high one along the continental divide in Colorado, since the mountains separating North Park and Middle Park are relative low compared to nearby ranges. The approach from either side is mild and the pass is rarely closed in winter. The vicinity of the pass is sparsely populated, with no major communities in the vicinity. The pass is traversed by State Highway 125
Colorado State Highway 125
State Highway 125 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Colorado. The highway runs north–south through Jackson and Grand counties in north central Colorado. It furnishes the principal north–south link through North Park and a connection to Middle Park over Willow Creek Pass...
. The nearest commercial facilities are in the unincorporated community of Rand
Rand, Colorado
Rand is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office established in 1881 in Jackson County, Colorado. It is a ranching community at the southern end of North Park south of Walden consisting of several homes and businesses, a post office, and ranching facilities...
in Jackson County just north of the pass.