Winter Road Closures in Colorado: Planning Tips for the Travelling Content Creator

 

by Logan Johnson   |   January 14, 2022

 

Are you a content creator who is looking to plan a road trip to Colorado anytime soon? In the summer and fall months, there are beautiful mountain passes you can take that lead you through curving, breath-taking, mountain views, sometimes leading you up to 12,095 feet in elevation. In the winter months, there are seasonal closures for some passes and roads which require extra planning time to plan your Colorado road trip adventure. Our goal as an adventure couple is to help you capture your content, share your brand and travel safely as you do so!

 

Cottonwood Pass

 

 

Summiting at 12,126 feet in elevation, Cottonwood Pass offers spectacular views of the
Continental Divide. The pass is closed from early November due to heavy snowfall to early May. Located west of Buena Vista and east of Crested Butte, the pass shows amazing colorful fall aspen groves, wildlife viewing and offers trailheads, camp sites, and even some boating opportunities that are ideal for capturing content for your social media brand. The pass is 31.7 miles long from Buena Vista to Taylor Park Reservoir and is easy to drive in a 2WD vehicle. There are some switchbacks along the pass that wind back and forth that help you get a full view of the beautiful, vast space around you.

 

If taking a road trip from Buena Vista to Crested Butte this winter, you will need to take highway 285 south to Poncha Springs then head west on highway 50 where you will take Monarch Pass to Gunnison. Monarch Pass sometimes has closures due to heavy snowfall and it’s important to check the Colorado Department of Transportation to be sure the pass is open. Once you arrive in Gunnison, you will take state highway 135 north until you arrive at the beautiful town of Crested Butte.

 

Independence Pass

 

Independence Pass is part of Highway 82 and is the highest paved state highway over the Continental Divide in Colorado. While driving Independence Pass, you sometimes experience narrow and winding roads that can make it difficult to travel in inclement weather and you experience steep drop-offs that are sure to make your stomach do somersaults. Independence Pass is west of Twin Lakes and east of Aspen, crossing the Continental Divide and winding through the San Isabel and White River National Forests. When you reach the summit at 12,095 feet elevation, you can park your vehicle and do a short walk up to the viewpoint where there are some stunning views. If you are a video content creator, the summit is an amazing spot to capture the beauty around you to share with your social media following. All throughout the drive on Independence Pass, you will have access to trailheads, campgrounds, scenic overlooks, wildlife viewing areas, and you can even see the old gold mining ghost town of Independence.

 

Independence Pass is usually open Memorial Day to late October, early November. After November, heavy snowfall at the high elevation makes it impossible to travel, therefore it is closed. If you are planning a winter road trip and are going from Twin Lakes to Aspen, you will have to take highway 24 north through Leadville, Minturn, take I-70 west to Glenwood Springs, and then highway 82 south to Aspen through Carbondale.

 

Kebler Pass

 

During the autumn months, Kebler Pass offers breathtaking colors you can see while driving amongst one of the largest Aspen tree groves in the United States. If you really want to inspire your social media following with colorful, breathtaking content, Kebler Pass is the place to visit in the fall. Kebler Pass, also known as Gunnison Road 12, is 31.4 miles long and summits at 10,007 feet in elevation while cutting through the Gunnison National Forest. Unlike Independence and Cottonwood Pass, Kebler is a dirt road where there are low grades. The speed limit is 35 miles per hour and takes about two hours to drive from one end to the other, given you don’t stop every turn to capture some pictures of the beauty around you. Along the pass, you can find plenty of spots for camping, biking, hiking, and off highway vehicle trails if you have a 4x4 vehicle.

 

Kebler Pass is closed from November to May due to heavy snowfall but there are alternative routes you can take if traveling from Crested Butte to Aspen. From Crested Butte, you will take state highway 135 through Almont to Gunnison, then head south on highway 50, then complete the trip with 65 miles on highway 92 and state highway 82-east to Aspen.

 

Colorado is such a beautiful state in the winter and provides many activities for the outdoor enthusiast and traveling content creator. You will not be disappointed in your visit and you will for sure walk away with lots of digital content to help promote your brand and share with your social media community!