A Most Tricky Scenic Drive to Gunsight Pass in Colorado
Usa, north-america
11.9 km
3,692 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Gunsight Pass in Gunnison County, Colorado is calling your name! Nestled in the Gunnison National Forest, this beast of a road climbs to a staggering 12,112 feet.
Starting near Crested Butte, Gunsight Pass Road (aka Trappers Way) throws you into a 7.4-mile off-road adventure. Think rugged terrain, loose rocks, and switchbacks galore as you wind through Wolverine Basin, hugging Mount Emmons. The lower part of the trail treats you to killer views of Crested Butte, while the higher you climb, the more the northern vistas explode!
Now, a heads-up: you can't actually *drive* all the way over the pass. The final switchbacks are closed to ATVs and 4x4s due to some serious erosion. So, dust off that mountain bike or lace up your hiking boots to conquer the final stretch. This old mining road isn't coddled—it's raw and untamed. Landslides are a real possibility thanks to a seriously unstable shale slope. The upper section? Let's just say it's seen better days and involves a sketchy scree slope that isn't safely passable.
This bad boy is usually snowed in from November to May. Be prepared for rapidly changing conditions: think thunderstorms, freezing temps, and the feeling of being wonderfully isolated. Watch out for snowfields—they can be treacherous! The road is steep, with sections hitting an 18% gradient. You'll gain a whopping 3,218 feet from Crested Butte, averaging an 8.24% incline. Gunsight Pass is a Colorado classic that demands respect and rewards you with views you won't soon forget!
Where is it?
A Most Tricky Scenic Drive to Gunsight Pass in Colorado is located in Usa (north-america). Coordinates: 37.7559, -101.1374
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 11.9 km
- Max Elevation
- 3,692 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 37.7559, -101.1374
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