Mountain Passes
Commonly Flown Mountain Passes
Elevations given are generally for ground traffic, such as the highest point of a road through a pass. All pass elevations are given in height above Mean Sea Level (MSL). It is highly recommended that flights cross passes at least 2,000 feet above the terrain.
Berthoud Pass
Route: Denver west to Granby/Kremmling. Elevation: 11,315′ MSL. Part of the Mountain AWOS program (Mines Peak AWOS 134.325). Follows I-70 to Highway 40 west from Denver. Expect strong downdrafts with moderate to high winds aloft. East to west flight path will be a blind right turn. N39 47.9′-W105 46.67′.
Cameron Pass
Route: Fort Collins west to Walden. Elevation: 10,276′ MSL. Not visible to any weather reporting stations. N40 31.25′-W105 53.55′.
Cochetopa and North Pass
Route: San Luis Valley to Gunnison area. Elevations: Cochetopa 10,067′, North 10,149′ MSL. Partially visible from Alamosa and Gunnison weather stations. Often favored over Monarch Pass. N38 10′-W106 36.04′.
Corona (Rollins) Pass
Route: Denver area to Granby/Kremmling. Elevation: 11,671′ MSL. Open pass with several miles to cross. Expect strong downdrafts with winds aloft over 30+ kts. N39 56.05′-W105 40.97′.
Cottonwood Pass (near Buena Vista)
Route: Buena Vista to Taylor Park/Gunnison. Elevation: 12,126′ MSL. Part of the Mountain AWOS program (Bald Mountain AWOS 132.05). Better alternative than Monarch in moderate winds. N38 49.67′-W106 24.55′.
Cottonwood Pass (near Eagle)
Alternative to following the river over Glenwood Canyon with better emergency landing options. N39 31.83′-W107 3.49′.
Cucharas Pass
Route: Southeastern plains (Trinidad) to San Luis Valley and Alamosa. Elevation: 9,941′ MSL. Follows CO-12 over the Sangre de Cristos. Limited weather visibility from nearby stations. N37 22.5′-W105 6.7′.
Cumbres Pass
Route: Alamosa to Durango. Elevation: 10,022′ MSL. Follows CO-17 south to the New Mexico border. The Cumbres & Toltec scenic railroad also crosses here. N36 59.1′-W106 27.1′.
Douglas Pass
Route: Grand Junction to Northwestern Colorado (Rangely). Elevation: 8,268′ MSL. Follows CO-139 through remote terrain. One of the lower passes but with limited emergency landing options. N39 35.2′-W108 27.1′.
Fremont Pass
Route: Silverthorne/Dillon to Leadville. Elevation: 11,320′ MSL. Part of Mountain AWOS program (Copper Mountain AWOS 118.075). Open valley identified by large Climax Molybdenum Mine. N39 21.98′-W106 11.2′.
Hagerman Pass
Route: Leadville to Aspen. Elevation: ~11,960′ MSL. Visible to Leadville weather station. Often favored over Independence Pass. N39 15.9′-W106 29.03′.
Hayden Pass
Route: East-west pass across the northern Sangre de Cristo Range, providing access between the Arkansas Valley and San Luis Valley. Elevation: 10,709′ MSL. Trail pass only — no paved road. Limited weather visibility. N38 16.5′-W105 50.5′.
Hoosier Pass
Route: South Park to Breckenridge. Elevation: 11,539′ MSL. Not visible from any weather stations. Provides access from the north to South Park. N39 21.7′-W106 3.75′.
Independence Pass
Route: Leadville to Aspen. Elevation: 12,094′ MSL. Narrow with blind turns. Light to moderate winds can make this pass very turbulent. N39 6.53′-W106 33.83′.
Kenosha Pass
Route: Southwest Denver to South Park and Arkansas Valley. Elevation: 10,001′ MSL. Follows Hwy 285 from Denver to Buena Vista.
La Manga Pass
Route: Alamosa area to Chama, NM and points southwest. Elevation: 10,230′ MSL. Adjacent to Cumbres Pass along the CO-17 corridor. N37 4.65′-W106 23.17′.
La Veta Pass
Route: Walsenburg to San Luis Valley and Alamosa. Elevation: 9,380′ MSL. Part of Mountain AWOS program (La Veta AWOS 119.925). Expect turbulence and up/down drafts during this crossing. N37 35.59′-W105 12.2′.
Lizard Head Pass
Route: Durango/Cortez to Telluride. Elevation: 10,222′ MSL. Follows CO-145 through the San Juan Mountains. Scenic but rugged terrain with limited emergency landing areas. N37 48.8′-W107 54.8′.
Loveland Pass
Route: Denver west to Silverthorne/Dillon. Elevation: 11,990′ MSL. Caution: Do not continue past HWY 6 when following I-70 due to box canyon above Eisenhower Tunnel. Expect strong downdrafts. N39 39.82′-W105 52.75′.
Marshall Pass
Route: Salida to Gunnison. Elevation: 10,845′ MSL. Partially visible to Salida weather. Often favored over Monarch. N38 23.48′-W106 14.83′.
McClure Pass
Route: Aspen/Glenwood Springs to Montrose area. Elevation: 8,755′ MSL. Follows CO-133 through the Crystal River Valley. Lower elevation but surrounded by higher terrain — maintain situational awareness. N39 7.7′-W107 17.5′.
Milner Pass
Route: North Denver via Estes Park to Granby. Elevation: 10,758′ MSL. Crosses the Continental Divide within Rocky Mountain National Park on Trail Ridge Road. Seasonal road closure (typically Oct-May). N40 25.2′-W105 48.5′.
Monarch Pass
Route: Salida to Gunnison. Elevation: 11,312′ MSL. Part of Mountain AWOS program (Monarch Pass 124.175). Caution: This pass has had a historically high number of crashes. N38 29.8′-W106 19.54′.
Mosca Pass
Route: Pueblo to Alamosa over the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Elevation: 9,740′ MSL. Trail pass with no road access. Provides a visual reference point when crossing the Sangre de Cristos near the Great Sand Dunes. N37 44.2′-W105 30.8′.
Mosquito Pass
Route: Fairplay to Leadville. Elevation: 13,186′ MSL. The highest named pass in Colorado — a 4WD trail only. Extremely high altitude requires careful density altitude planning. N39 16.8′-W106 11.2′.
Poncha Pass
Route: Salida to Alamosa. Elevation: 9,015′ MSL. Visible to Salida weather. Expect turbulence during moderate winds. N38 25.33′-W106 5.22′.
Rabbit Ears Pass
Route: Kremmling to Steamboat Springs. Elevation: 9,426′ MSL. Visible from Steamboat Springs Airport. Use caution climbing from Steamboat without sufficient altitude. N40 23.08′-W106 36.7′.
Red Mountain Pass
Route: Montrose to Durango. Elevation: 11,120′ MSL. Use extreme caution due to long periods of rugged terrain. N37 53.93′-W107 42.72′.
Tennessee Pass
Route: Leadville to Vail/Eagle. Elevation: 10,424′ MSL. Used for north/south routes through central mountains. N39 19.28′-W106 18.67′.
Trout Creek Pass
Route: South Park to Buena Vista. Elevation: 9,346′ MSL. One of the lowest routes into the central mountains. N38 54.6′-W105 58.5′.
Vail Pass
Route: Silverthorne/Dillon to Vail/Eagle. Elevation: 10,606′ MSL. Part of Mountain AWOS program (Copper Mountain AWOS 118.075). Follows I-70. N39 31.83′-W106 13.03′.
Weston Pass
Route: Fairplay to Leadville. Elevation: 11,960′ MSL. Unpaved road pass running parallel to Mosquito Pass but at lower elevation. Provides a visual corridor between South Park and the upper Arkansas Valley. N39 7.5′-W106 10.8′.
Wilkerson Pass
Route: Colorado Springs/South Denver to South Park. Elevation: 9,507′ MSL. Part of Mountain AWOS program (Wilkerson Pass AWOS 132.3). Main route into central mountains from the east. N39 2.28′-W105 31.54′.
Wolf Creek Pass
Route: Alamosa to Pagosa Springs/Durango. Elevation: 10,857′ MSL. Part of Mountain AWOS program (Wolf Creek Pass AWOS 121.125). Has a blind turn from north to south. N37 28.95′-W106 47.93′.
