Cottonwood Pass opened for summer, 2020 on Wednesday May 27. When open, the pass can be accessed from Buena Vista on the east side by following Chaffee County Road 306 into Gunnison County, and from Gunnison County on the west side via Gunnison County Road 209.
Each year, this two-lane, 12,095-foot pass closes for the winter for the safety of the travelling public and CDOT maintenance crews. It typically closes on or near Nov. 7 and almost always re-opens on the Thursday before Memorial Day each May.
It's closed seasonally each winter when the snow makes the road impassable. This seasonal mountain highway connects Crested Butte with Paonia. The drive over Kebler Pass takes nearly two hours. It's a fairly high pass at 10,007 feet that leads through spectacular alpine terrain.
It is generally open all year round, is traversable by all vehicles in good weather, but is occasionally closed during winter storms. The road over the pass has a smooth approach on the south side but has several switchbacks on the north side with a grade of 8%.
Here's when Colorado's mountain passes will open for the summer
- State Highway 5 – Mount Evans Highway – early July.
- State Highway 82 – Independence Pass between Twin Lakes and Aspen – June 1.
- Trail Ridge Road between Estes Park and Grand Lake (Rocky Mountain National Park) – Date to be determined.
- Guanella Pass between Georgetown and Grant – Date to be determined.
Top Spring Activities in Breckenridge, CO
- Skiing and Snowboarding.
- Nordic Skiing and Snowshoeing.
- Sledding.
- Dog sledding.
- Snowmobiling.
- FatBiking.
- Sleigh Rides.
- Scenic Cat Tours.
7 Activities to try this October
- Enjoy The Views. Grab the whole family and take in the views of Breckenridge's peaks.
- Take a Bike Tour. Hit the dirt and embark on a biking adventure this fall.
- Hit The River.
- Get Into The Halloween Spirit.
- Taste Your Way Through The Afternoon.
- Hit the trails without breaking a sweat.
- Spend The Day Scooping Up Deals.
Where is the Breckenridge Troll? Isak Heartstone is a 15-foot tall wooden troll sculpture located on the Trollstigen Trail in Breckenridge, Colorado. The newly constructed trailhead is located in the southeast corner of the Stephen C. West Ice Arena parking lot, next to Illinois Gulch Trailhead.
Re: Sawatch pronunciationTab-uh-watch (or tab-ah-watch).
Denver International Airport
Parking is $15.00 per night for passenger vehicles Monday-Thursday and $25.00 per night for passenger vehicles Friday-Sunday, but price is subject to change. Please Note: Oversized Vehicles such as RVs and vehicles hauling trailers are not permitted to park at the Ice Rink Lot.
Advantages: Parking for skiing access via the FREE RIDE Yellow Route and the Breckenridge Ski Area bus service (Ski area bus winter only). Designated parking for oversize vehicles and trailers. Overnight parking available for $5/night Monday - Thursday & $10/night Friday - Sunday.
From September 1st to May 31st, all vehicles must have either snow tires, tires with mud/snow destination, or a four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicle. All vehicles' tires must have tire tread of 3/16 of an inch. Chains can be used if tires are not adequate.
From Denver to Breckenridge by CarFrom Denver, it is a beautiful one-hour-and-45-minute drive (depending on traffic and weather it can be much longer) via I-70 and Hwy 9 to Breckenridge. The route takes you over the Continental Divide as you cross the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains and is stunning in any season.
To get to Peak 8 of Breckenridge Ski Resort take the free BreckConnect gondola from town to the base of Peak 8. To get to Alpine Camp, take the gondola and once you're at the base area of Peak 8, you can explore the various summer activities offered.
Breckenridge is about 100 miles west of the Denver International Airport. Direct flights from around the country arrive here daily. Land, get your luggage and skis and either grab a shuttle or rent a car (more on that in a minute). The drive will take anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours.
Top 5 Photo Spots for Your Breckenridge Vacation
- On the Mountain. Okay we'll get this one out of the way first because it's the most obvious – take a photo while on the mountain, of course!
- High Line Railroad Park.
- Mt.
- Riverwalk Center.
- The Mines Up French Gulch Road.
