Hayden Pass: The Complete Guide to Colorado's Scenic and Challenging Off-road Adventure
Usa, north-america
26.07 km
3,274 m
hard
Year-round
Colorado, baby! Get ready to tackle Hayden Pass, sitting pretty at 10,741 feet! You'll find it straddling Fremont and Saguache counties, down in southern Colorado. Look for the sign and parking spot at the top – you made it!
This off-road adventure, County Road 6 (aka Hayden Pass Road), clocks in at just over 16 miles. It's the old toll road route that wagons used to skirt the Sangre de Christo Range. Start in Coaldale, off US-50, and end up in Villa Grove on US 285.
Nestled in the Sangre de Cristo mountains (part of the Rockies, duh!), you can usually hit this trail from March to November. Pro tip: pack layers, it can get chilly and breezy up top.
You're looking at about 2 hours of pure driving bliss through the San Isabel National Forest, with views that will leave you speechless.
Now, this ain't your grandma's Sunday drive. Expect some serious off-camber action on a narrow shelf road with sharp rocks. A high-clearance 4x4 with low range is your best friend here. The climbs on both sides are STEEP – we're talking up to 20% in places – and rocky. It's a steady climb with rocks galore. The paved section from Coaldale turns into a smooth dirt road at first, luring you in… but don't get complacent! Near the summit, there's a super-narrow shelf road section with loose rocks. Sketchy if it's icy, and zero barriers to save you. Even stock SUVs might struggle with some of the bigger rocks. Basically, it's rough, rocky, steep, and could be muddy or sandy. Get ready for a workout!
Where is it?
Hayden Pass: The Complete Guide to Colorado's Scenic and Challenging Off-road Adventure is located in Usa (north-america). Coordinates: 41.5947, -96.1336
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 26.07 km
- Max Elevation
- 3,274 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 41.5947, -96.1336
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