---
id: "2110"
name: Guanella Pass Road
distance: "23.7"
duration: 1 hour to drive, 1 day to explore
description: The route is a crash course in Rocky Mountain ecosystems, leaping the steep divide between the South Platte and Clear Creek watersheds.
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organization:
  - url: https://www.clearcreekcounty.us/689/Guanella-Pass-Information
    name: Guanella Pass Road
websites:
  - url: https://www.codot.gov/travel/colorado-byways/north-central/guanella-pass
    name: Colorado Byways
  - url: https://www.colorado.com/byways/guanella-pass
    name: Colorado Travel Guide
  - url: https://www.coloradodirectory.com/maps/guanella.html
    name: Colorado Vacation Directory
  - url: https://www.americanlegacytours.org/colorado/guanella-pass-road-trip/
    name: National Travel Center
  - url: https://www.thearmchairexplorer.com/colorado/guanella-pass-road.php
    name: The Armchair Explorer
  - url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanella_Pass_Scenic_Byway
    name: Wikipedia
attractions:
  - url: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/recreation/trails/abyss-lake-trail-602
    name: Abyss Lake Trail
  - url: https://cpw.state.co.us/state-wildlife-areas/georgetown-swa
    name: Bighorn Sheep Viewing Area
  - url: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/recreation/burning-bear-east-trailhead
    name: Burning Bear Trail
  - url: https://visitclearcreek.com/guanella-pass-byway-scenic-drive/
    name: Clear Creek County Tourism Bureau
  - url: https://coopersonthecreek.com/
    name: Cooper's on the Creek
  - url: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/recreation/geneva-creek-trailhead
    name: Geneva Creek Trail
  - url: https://peopleforsilverplume.org/george-rowe-museum/
    name: George Rowe Museum
  - url: https://georgetownenergymuseum.com/
    name: Georgetown Energy Museum
  - url: https://www.georgetownlooprr.com/
    name: Georgetown Loop Railroad
  - url: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232306
    name: Guanella Pass Campground
  - url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanella_Pass
    name: Guanella Pass Summit
  - url: https://historicgeorgetown.org/
    name: Hamill House Museum
  - url: https://hoteldeparismuseum.org/
    name: Hotel de Paris Muesum
  - url: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/recreation/trails/mount-bierstadt-trail-711
    name: Mount Bierstadt Trail
  - url: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/recreation/trails/rosalie-trail-603
    name: Rosalie Trail
  - url: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/recreation/shelf-lake-trailhead
    name: "Shelf Lake Trail "
  - url: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/arp/recreation/silver-dollar-lake-trailhead
    name: Silver Dollar Lake Trail
  - url: https://www.the-shaggy-sheep.com/
    name: The Shaggy Sheep
  - url: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/recreation/trails/threemile-trail-635
    name: Threemile Trail
designations:
  - National Forest Scenic Byway
  - Colorado State Scenic Byway
states:
  - CO
ll:
  - -105.69798300000002
  - 39.70372000000009
bounds:
  - - -105.766111
    - 39.455864524847904
  - - -105.64599389397327
    - 39.73129209198822

---

This well-settled road leap-frogs the steep divide between the South Platte and Clear Creek watersheds, passing through a succession of distinct environments. The lower elevations are green and wet, with thick stands of spruce, fir, aspen, and pine rising along cascading creeks. Higher up, the streams snake through broad meadows, succoring thirsty mammals, nesting birds, and the industrious beaver, The road crests well above the timberline, where every spring the grasses and flowers stubbornly renew, and the fragile tundra thaws and blossoms.

__Mining Legacy__

The Guanella Pass Road known to visitors today was once an old wagon trail used by miners traveling between Georgetown and Grant. Gold lured miners and others to the area, but it was silver that brought prosperity to the valley. Well-preserved Victorian structures in Georgetown remind visitors of a day when the town was known as “Silver Queen of the Rockies.” Silver brought Cornish, Irish, English, Italian, German, and Scandinavian miners to the area, adding to the already existing culture.

__Exploring the Byway__

Before the automobile and sightseeing trips, mountain men traveled through this area in search of the prized beaver. Today, visitors can explore the Rocky Mountains along well-established trails. Hiking, horseback riding, biking, and backcountry exploring are all popular activities along the trails. Numerous camp spots, fishing holes, and four-wheel drive roads also hold adventure for the traveler.

Guanella Pass Road is seasonally closed on or about Nov. 26, and reopens on Memorial Day weekend at Naylor Lake on the Clear Creek County side and Burning Bear Campground on the Park County side.