Driving the treacherous Raton Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains
Usa, north-america
35 km
2,390 m
extreme
Year-round
Okay, road trippers, listen up! Raton Pass straddles the Colorado-New Mexico border, soaring to a cool 7,841 feet. "Ratón" means "mouse" in Spanish, and this route was a real game-changer back in the day, part of the legendary Santa Fe Trail. The first road snaked through here way back in 1866.
You'll cruise between Las Animas County, Colorado and Colfax County, New Mexico.
Today, it's all smooth sailing on Interstate 25. The 21.8-mile stretch from Raton, New Mexico to Trinidad, Colorado is in great shape. Just be ready for some climbs!
Perched high in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, this pass is generally open year-round. Winter, though? That's another story. Think wicked winds, slick ice, and blankets of snow. Mother Nature can throw a serious curveball, so keep your wits about you. Expect possible closures when the snow really starts to fly.
It's not brutally steep, thankfully. If you're coming from Raton, you'll gain about 1,089 feet over 11.6 miles, a gentle 1.77% average grade. From Trinidad, it’s a bit more of a climb: 1,831 feet over 13.9 miles, with an average grade of 2.49% and a max of 6%.
Time to hit the road!
Where is it?
Driving the treacherous Raton Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains is located in Usa (north-america). Coordinates: 43.0532, -99.8764
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 35 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,390 m
- Difficulty
- extreme
- Coordinates
- 43.0532, -99.8764
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