ESTES PARK, Colo. — After annual winter closures, some of Colorado's scenic mountain passes are back open for the summer!
That includes three of the state's scenic mountain highways, Trail Ridge Road, Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans Road) and Independence Pass.
Trail Ridge Road
U.S. Highway 34, or Trail Ridge Road, which runs between Estes Park and Grand Lake through Rocky Mountain National Park, is open for the season, according to a Friday release from a park spokesperson.
The Alpine Visitor Center, Trail Ridge Store and the adjacent parking area remain closed, the release said.
A timed entry permit reservation system is in place for Trail Ridge Road and other parts of Rocky Mountain National Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The release said snow plowing operations on the road this year were affected by May storms with significant winds.
Mount Blue Sky Road
Colorado Highway 5, also known as Mount Blue Sky Road, is open, according to the U.S. Forest Service Website.
CDOT said it would remain closed until after Memorial Day weekend this year due to ongoing snow.
The road takes drivers to the summit of 14,130-foot Mount Blue Sky, formerly known as Mount Evans.
Reservations are required for anyone who plans to park and visit one of the three developed sites along Mount Blue Sky Road (Mount Goliath Natural Area, Summit Lake Park, or the Mount Blue Sky Summit) between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Independence Pass
Independence Pass on Colorado Highway 82 is open for the summer season as of Friday afternoon, CDOT said in a release.
CDOT said both sides of the pass, which stretches between Twin Lakes and Aspen, are open to motorists. However, due to curves, inclines, and narrow lengths, vehicles 35 feet or longer are still prohibited, the release said. The restriction is between Mile Point 47.2 and Mile Point 84.2.
"In order to reopen the road for the 2024 season, crews conducted avalanche mitigation, cleared heavy snow from the winter and late spring storms, repaired a sinkhole sized five feet by seven feet, replaced a culvert, fixed potholes and guardrail, and repainted (striped) the roadway," said CDOT spokesperson Elise Thatcher in the release.
Guanella Pass
Guanella Pass, which runs from Georgetown to Grant and provides access to the Mount Bierstadt trailhead, is back open for the summer.
The pass opened Thursday, May 23, following its yearly closure during the winter season, a Clear Creek County spokesperson said.
Kebler Pass
Kebler Pass, west of Crested Butte, is open for the summer, according to the Gunnison County website.
The county public works department previously said weather had delayed the opening.
Cottonwood Pass
Gunnison County said Cottonwood Pass west of Buena Vista opened for the summer season on May 24.
Cottonwood Pass Road
Cottonwood Pass Road in Eagle and Garfield counties reopened for the summer this month. The road, which runs from Gypsum to the Roaring Fork Valley between Carbondale and Basalt, will remain open through autumn, weather permitting.
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