Muddy Pass
Encyclopedia
Muddy Pass is a high mountain pass
in the Rocky Mountains
of northern Colorado
in the United States
.
The pass straddles the continental divide
along the boundary between Jackson
and Grand
counties. The pass separates North Park
and the headwaters of the North Platte River
with Middle Park
near the headwaters of the Colorado River. It is named for Muddy Creek
, a tributary of the Colorado that descends southward from the pass to join the Colorado at Kremmling.
The pass is one of the lower crossings of the continental divide in Colorado, in a gap between the Park Range
to the north and the Rabbit Ears Range
to the east. It is rarely closed in winter and has a mild approach on both sides, with no switchbacks or tight spots. It provides the route of U.S. Highway 40 between Kremmling
and Steamboat Springs
. The road briefly enters the watershed of the North Platte (see North Park
). Rabbit Ears Pass
, which is just to the west of the pass, provides a third crossing of the continental divide along the U.S. Highway (Berthoud Pass
being the other). State Highway 14
from Walden, Colorado
has its western terminus at the pass, where it intersects U.S. Highway 40.
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 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
A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not connected to the open sea...
along the boundary between Jackson
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 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...
counties. The pass separates North Park
North Park (Colorado basin)
North Park is a high, sparsely populated basin in the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado in the United States. It encompasses a wide valley in Jackson County rimmed by mountain ranges at the headwaters of the North Platte River and several smaller tributaries, including the Michigan River,...
and the headwaters 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...
with Middle Park
Middle Park (Colorado basin)
Middle Park is a high basin in the Rocky Mountains of north-central Colorado in the United States. It is located in Grand County, on the southwest slope of Rocky Mountain National Park, approximately 50 miles west of Boulder.-Description:The basin surrounds the headwaters of the Colorado River...
near the headwaters of the Colorado River. It is named for Muddy Creek
Muddy Creek (Colorado)
Muddy Creek is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in north central Colorado in the United States.It rises in northwestern Grand County, in the Routt National Forest west of Rabbit Ears Pass at the continental divide. It flows south, east, then southwest, and joins the Colorado...
, a tributary of the Colorado that descends southward from the pass to join the Colorado at Kremmling.
The pass is one of the lower crossings of the continental divide in Colorado, in a gap between the Park Range
Park Range (Colorado)
The Park Range, elevation approximately , is a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northwestern Colorado in the United States. The range forms a relatively isolated part of the continental divide, extending north-to-south for approximately along the boundary between Jackson and Routt counties...
to the north and the Rabbit Ears Range
Rabbit Ears Range
The Rabbit Ears Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado in the United States. The range stretches east-west along the continental divide forming the border between Grand and Jackson Counties, separating Middle Park from North Park...
to the east. It is rarely closed in winter and has a mild approach on both sides, with no switchbacks or tight spots. It provides the route of U.S. Highway 40 between Kremmling
Kremmling, Colorado
Kremmling is a Statutory Town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,578 at the 2000 census. The town sits along the upper Colorado River in the lower arid section of Middle Park between Byers Canyon and Gore Canyon...
and Steamboat Springs
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
The city of Steamboat Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Routt County, Colorado, United States. The city is also known as "Steamboat," "The Boat," or "Ski Town USA". As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,088.The city is an...
. The road briefly enters the watershed of the North Platte (see North Park
North Park
North Park may refer to:Places in the United States*North Park, San Diego, California, a neighborhood*North Park , a valley in the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado*North Park, Chicago, Illinois, a neighborhood...
). Rabbit Ears Pass
Rabbit Ears Pass
Rabbit Ears Pass is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States.The pass straddles the continental divide at the southern end of the Park Range along the boundary between Grand and Jackson counties...
, which is just to the west of the pass, provides a third crossing of the continental divide along the U.S. Highway (Berthoud Pass
Berthoud Pass
Berthoud Pass is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States.The pass is located west of Denver, and provides a high route between upper Clear Creek Canyon to the upper valley of the Fraser River in Middle Park to the north...
being the other). 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...
from Walden, Colorado
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...
has its western terminus at the pass, where it intersects U.S. Highway 40.
External links
- Topographic map from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps