Cameron Pass (Colorado)
Encyclopedia
Cameron Pass is a 10249 ft (3,123.9 m) elevation mountain pass
in the Rocky Mountains
in north central Colorado
in the United States
. The pass is a gap between the south end of the Medicine Bow Mountains
and the north end of the Never Summer Mountains
. It sits on the border between Jackson County
and Larimer County
, approximately 3 mi (5 km) north of the boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park
. The pass provides the most convenient route between Fort Collins
and Walden
in North Park, using State Highway 14
.
The pass was named for Robert Cameron
, the founder of the Fort Collins Agricultural Colony
in the 1870s. The pass was surveyed several times for railroads, including once by the Union Pacific Railroad
as a possible route for a line through the Rockies. No railroad was ever built over the pass however. The pass is located within Roosevelt National Forest
and State Forest State Park
. Parking lots on the east and west sides of the pass, as well as at the summit allow access to nearby trails that are popular both for hiking
in the summer and cross-country skiing
in the winter. The pass receives much snow during the winter months and is prone to avalanches, but it usually remains open all-year round. The pass has a mild approach from the East, and is steep from the West.
The pass is drained on the north side by Joe Wright Creek, a tributary of the Cache la Poudre River
in the basin of the South Platte River
. It is drained on the south side by the Michigan River
, a tributary of the North Platte River
in North Park.
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...
in 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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The pass is a gap between the south end of the Medicine Bow Mountains
Medicine Bow Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains are a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains that extend for from northern Colorado into southern Wyoming. The northern extent of this range is the sub-range the Snowy Range...
and the north end of the Never Summer Mountains
Never Summer Mountains
The Never Summer Mountains are a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado in the United States. The range is located along the northwest border of Rocky Mountain National Park, forming the continental divide between the headwaters of the Colorado River in Rocky Mountain...
. It sits on 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 :...
and Larimer County
Larimer County, Colorado
Larimer County is the seventh most populous and the ninth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is located at the northern end of the Front Range, at the edge of the Colorado Eastern Plains along the border with Wyoming...
, approximately 3 mi (5 km) north of the boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is a national park located in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Colorado.It features majestic mountain views, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments—from wooded forests to mountain tundra—and easy access to back-country trails...
. The pass provides the most convenient route between Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
and Walden
Walden, Colorado
The Town of Walden is a Statutory Town that is the county seat of, and the only incorporated municipality in, Jackson County, Colorado, United States. It is situated in the center of a large open valley called North Park. People from Walden and the surrounding area refer to themselves as "North...
in North Park, using State Highway 14
Colorado State Highway 14
State Highway 14 in the U.S. state of Colorado is an east–west state highway approximately long. One of the longest state highways in Colorado, it traverses four counties along the northern edge of the state, spanning a geography from the continental divide in the Rocky Mountains to the...
.
The pass was named for Robert Cameron
Robert Alexander Cameron
Robert Alexander Cameron was an American soldier and newspaper publisher. He served as a Union general during the American Civil War. During the war he was made a brigadier general and after the war was appointed a brevet major general. After the war he was heavily involved in developing farms in...
, the founder of the Fort Collins Agricultural Colony
Fort Collins Agricultural Colony
The Fort Collins Agricultural Colony was a 19th century enterprise in Larimer County, Colorado to promote new agricultural and commercial settlement in and around the town of Fort Collins...
in the 1870s. The pass was surveyed several times for railroads, including once by the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
as a possible route for a line through the Rockies. No railroad was ever built over the pass however. The pass is located within Roosevelt National Forest
Roosevelt National Forest
The Roosevelt National Forest is a National Forest located in north central Colorado. It is contiguous with the Colorado State Forest as well as the Arapaho National Forest...
and State Forest State Park
State Forest State Park
State Forest State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Jackson and Larimer counties east of Walden, Colorado. The park was established in 1970 in the Medicine Bow Range of the Rocky Mountains. Facilities include a visitors center, over 200 campsites, cabins, picnic sites, boat ramps and of...
. Parking lots on the east and west sides of the pass, as well as at the summit allow access to nearby trails that are popular both for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
in the summer and cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
in the winter. The pass receives much snow during the winter months and is prone to avalanches, but it usually remains open all-year round. The pass has a mild approach from the East, and is steep from the West.
The pass is drained on the north side by Joe Wright Creek, a tributary of the Cache la Poudre River
Cache La Poudre River
The Cache la Poudre River is in the state of Colorado in the United States.Its headwaters are in the Front Range in Larimer County, in the northern part of Rocky Mountain National Park. The river descends eastward in the mountains through the Roosevelt National Forest in Poudre Canyon...
in the basin of the South Platte River
South Platte River
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River and itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West, located in the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska...
. It is drained on the south side by the Michigan River
Michigan River
The Michigan River is a tributary of the North Platte River, approximately long, in north central Colorado in the United States. It drains a rural part of the eastern side of North Park in eastern Jackson County. The river issues from Michigan Lakes, a chain of alpine lakes at , along the...
, a tributary 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...
in North Park.