Red Mountain Pass
Encyclopedia
Red Mountain Pass elevation 11099 ft (3,383 m) is a mountain pass
in the San Juan Mountains
of western Colorado
in the United States
.
The pass straddles a divide that separates Ouray
and San Juan
counties. The pass is named for the nearby Red Mountain 1, 2 and, 3
on the northeast side of the pass. The name is derived from the iron oxide laden rock that forms their slopes.
The pass separates the Uncompahgre
and Las Animas
River watersheds, and also serves as a dividing point between the Uncompahgre
and San Juan
National Forests. The pass is traversed by the Million Dollar Highway, U.S. Highway 550 between Ouray
and Silverton
, which is part of the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway
.
The pass is known for being treacherous in the wintertime due to the steep 8% grade (slope) on the north side facing Ouray, though the entire road is paved. In addition, there are very few guardrails on this side and passing is difficult, if not impossible.
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 San Juan Mountains
San Juan Mountains
The San Juan Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and...
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...
.
The pass straddles a divide that separates Ouray
Ouray County, Colorado
Ouray County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado in the United States. The county population was 3,742 at U.S. Census 2000. As of 2010, U.S. Census data place the population at 4,436. The county seat is the City of Ouray...
and San Juan
San Juan County, Colorado
San Juan County is the least populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado in the United States. The county name is the Spanish language name for “Saint John”, the name Spanish explorers gave to a river and the mountain range in the area. The county population was 558 at U.S. Census 2000...
counties. The pass is named for the nearby Red Mountain 1, 2 and, 3
Red Mountain (Colorado)
Red Mountain is a set of three peaks in the San Juan Mountains of western Colorado in the United States, about 5 miles south of Ouray. The mountains get their name from the reddish iron ore rocks that cover the surface...
on the northeast side of the pass. The name is derived from the iron oxide laden rock that forms their slopes.
The pass separates the Uncompahgre
Uncompahgre River
The Uncompahgre River is a tributary of the Gunnison River, approximately 75 mi long, in southwestern Colorado in the United States. Lake Como at 12,215 ft in northern San Juan County, in the Uncompahgre National Forest in the northwestern San Juan Mountains is the headwaters of the...
and Las Animas
Animas River
Animas River is a river in the western United States, a tributary of the San Juan River, part of the Colorado River System. The Spanish named the river "Rio de las Animas Perdidas", "River of the Lost Souls". It is also the last free-flowing river in Colorado. The river's free-flowing status...
River watersheds, and also serves as a dividing point between the Uncompahgre
Uncompahgre National Forest
Uncompahgre National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 955,229 acres in parts of Montrose, Mesa, San Miguel, Ouray, Gunnison, San Juan, and Delta Counties in western Colorado...
and San Juan
San Juan National Forest
The San Juan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering over 1,878,846 acres in Archuleta, Conjeos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Rio Grande, San Miguel and San Juan Counties in western Colorado. It borders the Uncompahgre National Forest to the north and the Rio Grande...
National Forests. The pass is traversed by the Million Dollar Highway, U.S. Highway 550 between Ouray
Ouray, Colorado
The historic City of Ouray is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Ouray County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 813 at the U.S. Census 2000 and 1,000 as of the U.S. Census 2010...
and Silverton
Silverton, Colorado
The town of Silverton is a Statutory Town that is the county seat of, and the only incorporated municipality in, San Juan County, Colorado, United States. Silverton is a former silver mining camp, most or all of which is now included in a federally designated National Historic Landmark District,...
, which is part of the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway
San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway
The San Juan Skyway is one of an All-American Road and a component in the Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway System. It forms a loop in the southwest part of the U.S. state of Colorado traversing the heart of the San Juan Mountains.- U.S. Highway 160 :...
.
The pass is known for being treacherous in the wintertime due to the steep 8% grade (slope) on the north side facing Ouray, though the entire road is paved. In addition, there are very few guardrails on this side and passing is difficult, if not impossible.