McClure Pass
Encyclopedia
McClure Pass is a high mountain pass
in the Rocky Mountains
of western Colorado
in the United States
.
and Gunnison
counties, in a gap at the western side of the Elk Mountains
south of Redstone
. It separates the headwaters of the Crystal River
(a tributary of the Roaring Fork River
to the north) with the headwaters of the North Fork Gunnison River
(south). The pass is traversed by State Highway 133
between Carbondale
and Paonia
, providing the direct route between the Roaring Fork Valley and the North Fork Valley. The pass is not especially high and is generally open year round, closed only during heavy snowstorms. The approaches are fairly steep on each side, with an 8% grade. The approach is smooth on the south side, as the road overlooks Muddy Creek above Paonia State Park
. The approach on the north side has one large switchback overlooking the valley containing the town of Marble
.
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...
of western 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...
.
Overview
The pass is located along the boundary between PitkinPitkin County, Colorado
Pitkin County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is named in honor of the late Colorado Governor Frederick Walker Pitkin. The county population was 14,872 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Aspen...
and Gunnison
Gunnison County, Colorado
Gunnison County is the fifth most extensive of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado in the United States. The county population was 15,324 at the 2010 census. The county was named for John W. Gunnison, a United States Army officer and captain in the Army Topographical Engineers, who surveyed...
counties, in a gap at the western side of the Elk Mountains
Elk Mountains (Colorado)
The Elk Mountains are a high, rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of west-central Colorado in the United States. The mountains sit on the western side of the Continental Divide, largely in southern Pitkin and northern Gunnison counties, in the area southwest of Aspen, south of the Roaring...
south of Redstone
Redstone, Colorado
Redstone is a census-designated place in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 130.The U.S. Post Office at Carbondale now serves Redstone postal addresses...
. It separates the headwaters of the Crystal River
Crystal River (Colorado)
The Crystal River is a tributary of the Roaring Fork River, approximately 40 mi long, in western Colorado in the United States. It drains a glacial valley, called the Valley of the Coal Miners, south of Carbondale which was historically known as a center of coal mining in southwestern Colorado...
(a tributary of the Roaring Fork River
Roaring Fork River
Roaring Fork River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in west central Colorado in the United States. The river drains a populated and economically vital area of the Colorado Western Slope called the Roaring Fork Valley or Roaring Fork Watershed, which includes the resort...
to the north) with the headwaters of the North Fork Gunnison River
North Fork Gunnison River
The North Fork Gunnison River is a tributary of the Gunnison River, long, in southwestern Colorado in the United States. It drains part of the southwestern flank of the Elk Mountains northeast of Delta....
(south). The pass is traversed by State Highway 133
Colorado State Highway 133
State Highway 133 is a long north–south byway connecting State Highway 82 to the north and State Highway 92 to the south, and travels through the towns of Hotchkiss, Somerset, Redstone, and Carbondale. Highway 133 travels over a significant mountain pass on the northern end, called McClure Pass,...
between Carbondale
Carbondale, Colorado
Carbondale is a Home Rule Municipality in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 5,196 at the 2000 census. The town is located in the mid valley of the Roaring Fork River, downstream from Aspen and upstream from the mouth of the Roaring Fork at Glenwood Springs. The town...
and Paonia
Paonia, Colorado
The Town of Paonia is a Statutory Town in Delta County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,497 at the 2000 census.-History:The area was first explored in 1853 by Captain John W. Gunnison of the United States Army...
, providing the direct route between the Roaring Fork Valley and the North Fork Valley. The pass is not especially high and is generally open year round, closed only during heavy snowstorms. The approaches are fairly steep on each side, with an 8% grade. The approach is smooth on the south side, as the road overlooks Muddy Creek above Paonia State Park
Paonia State Park
Paonia State Park, is a Colorado State Park located in Gunnison County east of Paonia, Colorado. The park in a canyon surrounding Paonia Reservoir on the North Fork Gunnison River was established in 1964. Park facilities include campsites, picnic sites and a boat ramp...
. The approach on the north side has one large switchback overlooking the valley containing the town of Marble
Marble, Colorado
Marble is a Statutory Town in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The population was 131 at the 2010 census.-History:The town of Marble was first incorporated in 1899...
.
External links
- Topographic map from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps
- USGS Topozone entry