Colorado Mtn Passes

This Page is of mostly about unpaved High Mountain Passes in the Arkansas, South Platte and Northern Rio Grande Watersheds Negotiable by an Adventure or Dual Sport motorcycle or a Plated Dirt Bike.

• This is Not a comprehensive list of every Mountain Pass in Colorado.
• This Page contains a List of Passes in the Heart of the Rockies.

Why is this area called the Heart of the Rockies ?

• The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad called Salida and the Arkansas River Valley the Heart of the Rockies from the 1920’s to the 1990’s.
• 4 Major American Rivers Headwaters are in the “Heart of the Rockies”
  

Scroll down for a List of 18 Specific Passes in the Heart of the Rocky Mountains.

Marshall Pass Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Map late 1800’s

(Click to view)

• All of the passes in the Heart of the Rockies could be negotiated by any competent rider on a properly set up ADV Motorcycle.

• The Passes in the Heart of the Rocky Mountains are in the headwaters and watersheds of 4 Major American Rivers:

1. The Arkansas
2. Rio Grande
3. South Platte
4. Colorado

• The quickest route from one town to the other in the Rocky Mountains is often up and over a mountain
• Which explains why Colorado has so many high mountain passes.
• It’s passes like these that offer incredible rewards for those daring enough to traverse them.

Mountain Passes (A-M)

• Chaffee County has more ‘Fourteener’s than any other County in the United States.
• Mountain Passes—trade routes during the mining era—offer long rides with stunning scenery.
• History buffs can travel along the old Railroad lines and imagine them as they were in the early mining and Railroad days.

Mountain Passes (N-Z)

• The plentiful Passes of the region, open spaces and majestic views offer endless opportunities for exploring.
• With all the widespread OHV closures, knowing where to go and how to get the best out of your riding day is now more valuable than ever before.
• We have scouted out the best routes, and eliminated the U-turns and dead-ends on all of our routes.

The Crossroads of the Rockies are in Chaffee County. Hwy’s 285 and Hwy 50.