Red Mountain Pass

Red Mountain Pass

Red Mountain Pass
Red Mountain Pass

Distance

9.2 mi

Technical Rating

4 Moderate

Best Time

Fall, Summer

Trail Type

High-Clearance 4x4 Trail

Accessible By

Trail Overview

Red Mountain Pass is an easy Jeep trail that features old mining structures and great alpine scenery. You'll connect with Highway 550 near the middle of the trail, so it can be divided into two sections. The northern section is visible from the Red Mountain Mining History Viewpoint on Highway 550. There are numerous ruins for exploration. One of the most visited is the Yankee Girl headframe shown to the right. It is unusual in that it has a 1,200' vertical shaft under the headframe. There are numerous other structures in various stages of decomposition. The Longfellow Mine is located close to where the northern section intersects with US 550. Old ore cars are visible below the structures along US 550. The southern portion of the trail is much different than the northern. It is mostly above the timberline and offers great views of the surrounding area. There are only a few mines in the area.

Weather

Status Reports

Travis Kulbeth
Oct 12, 2024
2014 Kawasaki Teryx4 800
Open
Normal
Suzanne Roquemore
Sep 22, 2024
2022 Jeep Wrangler
Open
This trail was so much fun- we ran it on our way back to Silverton to Ouray and then decided to run it again the next day. There was rain & snow so the south portion was a bit slippery on the trail due to mud. gorgeous views and lots of mining structures! lots of private property esp on the southern portion.
Jay Stokley
Sep 20, 2024
4x4
Open
Normal
No problems doing the entire trail. No obstructions seen.
Mike Abeling
Sep 19, 2024
4x4
Temporarily Closed
Northern part closed with bolder across the road.