La Poudre Pass
Encyclopedia
La Poudre Pass elevation 10184 ft (3,104.1 m) is a high mountain pass
located in the Rocky Mountains
of northern Colorado
in the United States
.
The pass straddles the Continental Divide
, and separates the headwaters of La Poudre Pass Creek, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean
, from the headwaters of the Colorado River
, which flows into the Pacific Ocean
. At the pass, the Continental Divide is the boundary between Grand
and Larimer
counties, and is also the northern boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park
.
The pass itself is a broad, flat, swampy area. In the wet meadow
just south of the divide, the Colorado River
begins its course as a tiny stream. Rocky Mountain National Park's La Poudre Pass Ranger Station is also located in the pass.
The pass is traversed by a hiking trail, by the Grand Ditch
as it carries water from the Never Summer Mountains
into the Cache La Poudre River
, and by a private, gated, maintenance road for the Grand Ditch.
To visit the pass, follow Long Draw Road south from its junction with Colorado State Highway 14
in Poudre Canyon
, just east of Cameron Pass
. Long Draw Road is unpaved, but can be traveled by regular passenger automobiles. After passing Long Draw Reservoir the road ends at the La Poudre Pass Trailhead parking area. It's a very short walk from here to the pass, which is marked by the entrance sign to Rocky Mountain National Park. At this sign, you are standing on the Continental Divide.
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...
located 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...
of northern 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 straddles the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
, and separates the headwaters of La Poudre Pass Creek, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, from the headwaters of the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
, which flows into the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. At the pass, the Continental Divide is the boundary between Grand
Grand County, Colorado
Grand County is the 21st largest of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 12,442 at U.S. Census 2000...
and Larimer
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...
counties, and is also the northern 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 itself is a broad, flat, swampy area. In the wet meadow
Wet meadow
A wet meadow is a semi-wetland meadow which is saturated with water throughout much of the year. Wet meadows may occur because of poor drainage or the receipt of large amounts of water from rain or melted snow. They may also occur in riparian zones....
just south of the divide, the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
begins its course as a tiny stream. Rocky Mountain National Park's La Poudre Pass Ranger Station is also located in the pass.
The pass is traversed by a hiking trail, by the Grand Ditch
Grand Ditch
The Grand Ditch, also known as the Grand River Ditch and originally known as the North Grand River Ditch, is a water diversion project in the Never Summer Mountains, in northern Colorado . It is long, wide, and deep on average...
as it carries water from 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...
into 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...
, and by a private, gated, maintenance road for the Grand Ditch.
To visit the pass, follow Long Draw Road south from its junction with Colorado 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...
in Poudre Canyon
Poudre Canyon
The Poudre Canyon is a narrow verdant canyon, approximately 40 mi long, on the upper Cache la Poudre River in Larimer County, Colorado in the United States...
, just east of Cameron Pass
Cameron Pass (Colorado)
Cameron Pass is a 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,...
. Long Draw Road is unpaved, but can be traveled by regular passenger automobiles. After passing Long Draw Reservoir the road ends at the La Poudre Pass Trailhead parking area. It's a very short walk from here to the pass, which is marked by the entrance sign to Rocky Mountain National Park. At this sign, you are standing on the Continental Divide.