America's Highest Loop, Through the Roof of Colorado

This west-to-east traverse of the central Colorado Rockies begins in Aspen, climbs immediately to one of the highest paved roads in North America, and crosses the Continental Divide three times across 142 miles. From the resort town of Aspen at 7,908 feet, CO-82 climbs nearly 4,200 feet to Independence Pass (12,095 ft) in just 20 miles, passing ghost-town ruins above timberline before descending past Twin Lakes to Leadville (10,152 ft), the highest incorporated city in North America. From Leadville, the route turns north on US-24 over Tennessee Pass (10,424 ft) through Camp Hale, the World War II training ground of the 10th Mountain Division (designated a national monument in 2022), and continues past the historic railroad town of Minturn to I-70. A 22-mile interstate connection over Vail Pass and through the high country reaches Copper Mountain, where CO-91 turns south and climbs Fremont Pass (11,318 ft) past the world's largest molybdenum mine before completing the loop back at Leadville. The route rarely drops below 9,000 feet of elevation, passes between Colorado's two highest peaks (Mount Elbert at 14,440 ft and Mount Massive at 14,428 ft), and threads through the heart of the Sawatch Range, which holds 15 of Colorado's 58 fourteeners. The country is shaped by 30 million years of volcanic activity layered with two million years of glaciation, and by the human story of silver and gold barons whose fortunes built the opera houses and Victorian mansions of Aspen and Leadville. The Aspen-to-Leadville direction is the dramatic one: you climb hard out of Aspen, crest the pass, and unfold the rest of the byway across the high valleys of the Arkansas and Eagle River drainages.

Key Stops

Aspen (Start) The byway's western starting point and one of the most famous mountain towns in the world. Founded as a silver-mining boomtown in 1879, Aspen nearly died after the 1893 Silver Crash, lingered as a faded relic for decades, and was reborn after World War II when veterans of the 10th Mountain Division (trained at Camp Hale, the stop you'll reach later on the byway) returned to develop the ski areas now known as Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass. The downtown preserves dozens of restored Victorian buildings around the Wheeler Opera House (1889). The Aspen Music Festival, the Aspen Institute, and the Aspen Ideas Festival give the town an intellectual depth rare for any mountain resort. Full services and the most lodging options on the western half of the drive.

Maroon Bells (Side Trip Before Departing) Two iconic 14,000-foot peaks (Maroon Peak, 14,163 ft, and North Maroon Peak, 14,019 ft) rising in a glacial cirque above Maroon Lake, 10 miles southwest of Aspen via Maroon Creek Road. Often called the most-photographed peaks in North America. Access for 2026:

• Vehicle reservations required May 15 through October 31; parking reservation $10
• Inbound private vehicles prohibited 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. between May 22 and October 18; reservation holders must arrive before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m.
• RFTA shuttle from Aspen Highlands runs May 22 through October 18, $16 per adult / $10 per senior or child
• New for 2026: $5 e-bike fee
• Reserve at visitmaroonbells.com

The classic sunrise shot from the Maroon Lake shoreline is best in late September when the aspens turn gold. Plan this as a pre-dawn outing before heading east on Independence Pass.

Independence Pass CO-82 climbs east from Aspen through a series of narrow switchbacks, rising 4,200 feet in 20 miles to crest at 12,095 feet, one of the highest paved roads in the United States. Above timberline at the pass, a short paved walkway leads to interpretive panels and panoramic views of the Sawatch and Elk Ranges. The road is open only from late May through early November (the 2026 season opened at noon on May 21). Vehicles and trailers with combined length over 35 feet are prohibited; the road is too narrow for buses, RVs, and large trailers. Drive in clear weather only; afternoon thunderstorms make the high pass genuinely dangerous.

Independence Ghost Town On the descent from Independence Pass, just below timberline at 10,900 feet, the ruins of a 19th-century mining camp where gold was discovered on July 4, 1879. By 1882 the town held about 1,000 people and 40 businesses, but it was abandoned in the brutal winter of 1899 when the surviving residents skied 18 miles back to Aspen rather than starve. The Aspen Historical Society maintains the site with self-guided trails through stabilized cabins and offers guided tours in summer. Free.

Interlaken Resort (Ghost Town) A short hike from the Twin Lakes Dam trailhead leads to the preserved ruins of a Victorian-era resort on the south shore of Twin Lakes. Popular in the 1880s, it was abandoned when reservoir construction made the surrounding waters brackish. The US Forest Service has stabilized the buildings, including the Dexter Cabin with its octagonal lookout. About 4 miles round trip.

Twin Lakes A pair of large glacial lakes at the base of Mount Elbert: the largest natural lakes in Colorado. The tiny historic village has a few inns, restaurants, and the National Forest visitor center. Trailheads for all three Mount Elbert hiking routes depart from near here. This is where CO-82 meets US-24 and you turn north toward Leadville.

Mount Elbert and Mount Massive Colorado's two highest peaks, flanking the byway as you travel north on US-24 toward Leadville. Mount Elbert (14,440 ft) is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains and the second-highest in the contiguous United States after California's Mount Whitney. Both peaks have non-technical hiking routes (10 to 11 miles round trip, 4,500 to 5,300 feet of elevation gain) accessible from trailheads near Twin Lakes; expect 8 to 10 hours and start before dawn to be off the summit before afternoon thunderstorms.

Turquoise Lake A 1,800-acre reservoir about 5 miles west of Leadville at roughly 10,000 feet, ringed by a 15-mile paved loop road and a 6-mile shoreline trail (a section of the Leadville Trail 100 course). Eight campgrounds with around 300 sites. The water glows turquoise on sunny days against the dark spruce-fir forest. A worthwhile short detour before reaching Leadville.

Leadville (First Pass) The highest incorporated city in North America at 10,152 feet. The entire downtown (Harrison Avenue) is a National Historic Landmark District, preserving Victorian buildings from the city's 1880s silver boom when Leadville was the second-largest city in Colorado, briefly home to Horace and "Baby Doe" Tabor (whose tragic rise and fall inspired the opera The Ballad of Baby Doe), the unsinkable Molly Brown, and the doomed gambler Doc Holliday. Key stops include:

• Tabor Opera House (built 1879 in 100 days; hosted Oscar Wilde, John Philip Sousa, and Buffalo Bill Cody)
• National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum (the official US mining museum)
• Healy House Museum and Heritage Museum

Full services and several lodging options. Leadville is a natural overnight stop midway through the drive. The town will be passed again at the end of the loop.

Tennessee Pass US-24 climbs north from Leadville to Tennessee Pass at 10,424 feet, marking the Continental Divide separating the Colorado and Arkansas river watersheds. Less dramatic than Independence but historically significant. Open year-round.

Camp Hale–Continental Divide National Monument Just north of Tennessee Pass at 9,238 feet, in the Eagle River Valley between Red Cliff and Leadville. President Biden designated the 53,804-acre site as a national monument on October 12, 2022. The site honors the 10th Mountain Division, the only US unit trained for mountain and winter warfare in World War II. Up to 14,000 soldiers trained here in skiing, mountaineering, and cold-weather survival; many returned after the war to found ski areas across the American West, including Aspen, Vail, Sugarbush, and others. The site was later used as a covert CIA training camp for Tibetan resistance fighters in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Open year-round, no entrance fee. The visitor center is open Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Interpretive panels along the old foundation lines tell the story.

Red Cliff A tiny village in a deep gorge along the Eagle River, spanned by a high arched bridge with stunning views. The town clings to canyon walls and feels frozen in another era. Stop at the Red Cliff Bridge overlook for photos.

Minturn A historic railroad town just south of Vail at the junction of US-24 and I-70. Minturn has Old West character preserved in original storefronts along Main Street, several excellent restaurants (Minturn Country Club, Kirby Cosmo's BBQ Bar, the Saloon), and a popular Saturday market in summer. Fuel up here before merging onto I-70.

I-70 Connector (Minturn to Copper Mountain) From Minturn, merge onto I-70 east. The interstate climbs through Vail and Avon, over Vail Pass (10,662 ft, with a popular bike path running alongside the highway), and descends to Copper Mountain at the I-70 junction with CO-91. About 22 miles. The interstate corridor is busy and fast; stay alert for sudden weather changes.

Copper Mountain A modern ski resort and small base village at the I-70 junction with CO-91. Summer offerings include lift-served mountain biking, a zip line, and a coaster. The town serves as a practical fuel and food stop before the final climb over Fremont Pass.

Fremont Pass and the Climax Mine CO-91 climbs south from Copper Mountain over Fremont Pass at 11,318 feet, where the Climax Molybdenum Mine has operated since 1918 and at one time supplied roughly three-quarters of the world's molybdenum. The mine's terraced pit, tailings ponds, and processing facility dominate the pass, an enormous industrial landscape set incongruously among 13,000-foot peaks. Owned by Freeport-McMoRan. There are no public tours, but the road passes the active operation with several pullouts for photography.

Return to Leadville (End) CO-91 descends from Fremont Pass back to US-24 just north of Leadville, closing the loop where it began on the byway's northern leg. Leadville makes a natural ending point for the journey.

Driving Tips

• The Aspen-to-Leadville direction is the more dramatic way to drive Independence Pass: you climb 4,200 feet from Aspen to the summit, building tension before the descent reveals the high valleys of central Colorado. Be at the Aspen end of CO-82 by mid-morning to avoid afternoon storms at the pass.
• The Maroon Bells side trip works best as a pre-dawn outing before you depart Aspen. Reserve a parking slot before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. via visitmaroonbells.com, or take the RFTA shuttle from Aspen Highlands.
• Independence Pass closes from early November through late May. The 2026 opening was May 21. In winter, the pass is impassable; you would need to drop south through Glenwood Springs and Eagle to reach Leadville from Aspen.
• Vehicles and trailers with combined length over 35 feet are prohibited on CO-82 over Independence Pass. RVs, large trailers, and tour buses must detour via I-70 and US-24.
• Tennessee Pass and Fremont Pass remain open year-round but require winter tires and traction devices when storms hit. The I-70 connector through Vail Pass is the most heavily used mountain highway in Colorado and the most frequently snow-affected; check cotrip.org for current conditions.
• The entire byway sits between 9,000 and 12,095 feet of elevation. Altitude affects almost everyone. Drink extra water, limit alcohol the first day, and consider acclimating in Denver or another mid-elevation city before driving the byway. Symptoms of altitude sickness (headache, nausea, dizziness) typically subside by descending; if severe, descend immediately.
• Late September brings peak aspen color, particularly along Independence Pass, near Twin Lakes, and in the Maroon Bells. This is one of the most spectacular fall foliage drives in Colorado but also one of the most crowded.
• The Leadville Race Series (Leadville Trail 100 trail run in August, mountain bike race in August) brings thousands of athletes to town. Lodging fills well in advance during these events.
• Cell coverage is reliable in Aspen, Leadville, Minturn, and Copper Mountain, spotty between towns, and nonexistent at high passes. Download offline maps before departure.
• Afternoon thunderstorms are intense and dangerous on high passes, especially July and August. Plan high-elevation activities (hiking, summit attempts) to be completed by noon.
• Fuel up in Aspen, Leadville, Minturn, or Copper Mountain. Independence Pass has no services for over 40 miles between Aspen and Twin Lakes.

For more information visit: Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway (Colorado Tourism)