San juan river, colorado river riverswatersheds east of divide. Some truck drivers use the pass despite the prohibition. In colorado, it divides the front range and western slope. Continental divide trail coalition, golden, colorado. The views on the east side of monarch pass above are very scenic. Continental divide definition of continental divide by the. Ive been on nearly every paved road in the mountainous portions of colorado and have crossed the continental divide at every paved.
Trail ridge road is one of colorado s most famous scenic drives, cutting through rocky mountain national park along the nations continental divide. This popular tourist destination takes drivers atop the continental divide, which. The other area that i know you can see the continental divide is west of laramie, wy in the medicine bow national forest. The continental divide is one of the most iconic and important mountain ranges in the americas, dividing the continents in half and extending all the way from the bering strait and strait magellan. Most continents have multiple continental divides and some rivers flow into endorheic basins inland bodies of water, such as the sahara desert in africa. Fremont, the expedition crossed from the north breckenridge side to the south following a buffalo trace, or worn migration path. Continental divide is a ridge in colorado and has an elevation of 12,841 feet. I wanted to take loveland pass and get a photo at the continental divide sign but, being a flatlander, im. The divide crosses northern alaska into the yukon, then zigzags south into british columbia via the cassiar mountains and omineca mountains and northern nechako plateau to summit lake, north of the city of prince george and just south of the community of mcleod lake. This place is situated in mckinley county, new mexico, united states, its geographical coordinates are 35 25 30 north, 108 18 53 west and its original name with diacritics is continental divide.
And lucky for us, the continental divide cuts right through grand county, colorado. Divides are boundaries that separate drainage basin s or watershed. The continental divide national scenic trail in short continental divide trail cdt is a united states national scenic trail running 3,100 miles 5,000 km between chihuahua and alberta. The western continental divide is an imaginary line that sits atop a continuous ridge of mountain summits that divide the continent into two main drainage areas in north america. Continental divides are made of mountain ranges the most famous part of the north american continental divide is a ridge of high land that runs through the rocky mountains. There is hiking and mountain biking along the colorado trail right outside the hut as well as trails at ski cooper and the camp hale area. This breckenridge tour is a great way to explore what our beautiful state has to offer. A large section of the divide runs through colorado and is home to some of the best scenic views in the state. These are our favorite spots to visit great continental divide landmarks in colorado 1. The most rugged of americas triple crown of long trails the others are the pacific crest trail and appalachian trail, the continental divide trail runs 3,100 miles from canada to mexico, passing through five states.
The continental divide cabin has numerous summertime activities most of which are right outside the front door or just a short drive away. Standing on the continental divide brings into focus the entirety of the. Continental divide raceways, castle rock, colorado. Continental divides are broad, continent wide example of drainage divides, sometimes just called divide s. Discussion about this topic while along the continental divide in colorado. Scenic drive through loveland pass colorado continental divide white. It follows the continental divide of the americas along the rocky mountains and traverses five u.
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. The 10 most challenging drives in colorado outthere colorado. Aug 11, 2019 the bestknown continental divide is in north america and it runs along the rocky and andes mountain ranges. Nov 30, 2006 colorado is a majestic place, with the massive ridge of the continental divide bisecting the states two agricultural regions and providing over 14 million forest acres for recreation. We depart from our convenient location in winter park and ride 15 miles up the historic corona pass road to the continental divide and corona pass at nearly 12,000ft in elevation. Ouray peak is situated 4 miles northeast of continental divide. The cdt route is located at high elevations, averaging about 10,000 feet.
Colorado atv guided tours all season adventures colorado. The continental divide of the americas is the longest continental divide in the world. Splitting north america with a serpentine line, the continental divide is quite literally the roof of the continent. The entire continental divide scenic trail is 3,100 miles long and is one of the most significant trail systems in the world. Sep 18, 2014 reliving the great divide expedition of 1989, we slog a convoy of range rovers from ouray to telluride along colorado s continental divide. Related links bike monarch pass my bike ride up monarch pass in july 2005. Were back the continental divide region scca has scheduled the in search of the great pumpkin iv road rally for october 28, 2018.
The great continental divide ride is the premier rocky mountains discovery route. Independence pass, originally known as hunter pass, is a high mountain pass in central colorado, united states. Nestled against the continental divide, high in the rocky mountains of colorado, the small town of winter park gets some of the best recreational snow in colorado. Togwotee pass pronounced togatee is a mountain pass located on the continental divide in the absaroka mountains of the united states, between the towns of dubois and moran junction, wyoming. Today, loveland pass is a favorite with adventurous drivers, backcountry skiers. Tripadvisor visit red rocks park, continental divide. Rivers west of the continental divide drain into the columbia or colorado river basins and then into the pacific ocean. This route started as a mountain bike route to follow as closely as possible to the c ontinental drainage divide running along the rocky mountains. Forest service and other federal land management agencies, the cdtc is a nonprofit partner supporting stewardship of the cdt.
Edwin james, an early explorer, historian, and botanist who was a. Colorados continental divide help protect our central rocky mountains the continental divide coalition is a diverse group of citizens, businesses, veterans, sportsmen, and conservation groups dedicated to protecting the spectacular wild lands remaining in the heart of colorados rocky mountains. Continental divide teton tour company in jackson hole wy. The commissioner has authorized the continental divide trail coalition cdtc to issue permits on the commissioners behalf, subject to the same terms and conditions, rules and requirements, for access to the continental divide trail on state trust lands. Driving to the summit of loveland pass continental divide colorado. The continental divide begins at cape prince of wales, alaska, the westernmost point on the mainland of the americas. During summer months, a gift shop, restaurant and rest area are open. Ouray peak, elevation 12,963 ft, is a summit in the sawatch mountains of colorado. It runs from northwestern canada, south along the crests of the rocky mountains in the united states, then on into mexico, where it follows the peaks of the sierra.
More continental dividealso known as the divide, this ridge runs along the crests of the rocky mountains north to south. Monarch pass is intersected by state highway 50 in central colorado and is thoroughfare that is open all year. Maps and descriptive tapes are available at the the kawuneeche visitor center in rocky mountain national park on highway 34 just north of grand lake. Trail conditions in the backcountry are generally very good. To the west of the divide, all the water flows into the pacific ocean and on the eastern side, all the water flows. Led by military leader and great pathfinder john c. Daylong auto trips take you through rocky mountain national park over the continental divide into estes park or grand lake. The entire continental divide national scenic trail corridor is approximately 3,100 miles 4,988 kilometers long, extending from the canadian border in montana to the border of mexico in new mexico. Cottonwood pass colorado drive eastwest from buena vista 722927788 almost the end of the opening season on this newly improved road, now the highest paved continental divide crossing in north america. Loveland pass drive across the continental divide in. Often referred to as the backbone of a continent, continental divides are almost always naturally occurring structures, although occasionally, manmade structures are. The area is named after its most prominent peak, 294foot james peak in honor of dr.
The nine highest mountains situated on the continental divide in the united states are located in colorado, with two grays and torreys peaks above 14,000 feet. The continental divide in wyoming cuts across the state from the northwest corner to the south central area. The continental divide in colorado cdt hiking trails and driving. About 1,900 miles 3,211 km of the corridor contains existing trails or primitive routes. Each river system feeds into a distinct ocean basin, bay, or sea.
Continental divide, fairly continuous ridge of northsouthtrending mountain summits in western north america which divides the continents principal drainage into that flowing eastward either to hudson bay in canada or, chiefly, to the mississippi and rio grande rivers in the united states and. Reliving the great divide expedition of 1989, we slog a convoy of range rovers from ouray to telluride along colorados continental divide. Loveland pass drive across the continental divide in colorado. Continental divide national scenic trail rocky mountain. James peak wilderness was designated in 2002 by congress with approximately 14,000 acres on the east side of the continental divide in boulder, gilpin, and clear creek counties of colorado. Great continental divide ride gpskevin adventure rides. The 10 best colorado scenic drives with photos tripadvisor. Georgia pass trail elevation 11,598 is a popular section of the famed colorado trail. Continental divide tour operated by grand adventures explore the vast terrain in winter parks arapahoe national forest with our continental divide tour. Continental divide in colorado grand county, colorado. The continental divide trail is approximately 650 miles in length in colorado.
Mar 10, 2020 about the continental divide trail coalition the cdtc was founded in 2012 by volunteers and recreationists hoping to provide a unified voice for the trail. Colorado is a majestic place, with the massive ridge of the continental divide bisecting the states two agricultural regions and providing over 14 million forest acres for recreation. I know it is very evident and well marked in yellowstone national park. The segments of the route, as described in guide to the continental divide trail, are. A continental divide is a naturally occurring boundary or ridge separating a continents river systems.
We are a 501 c 3 organization formed to connect the community to protect, preserve and promote the continental divide national. Taken by ron phillips during the continental divide raceways of 1960 in castle rock, co. Coming off the open range of wyoming, colorado seemed constricted, as if its north and south borders had put the squeeze on the rockies. The first european explorers to document a crossing of the continental divide at todays hoosier pass were the members of the fremont expedition in june 1844. Continental divide a diverse group of people protecting the. The event will start at the sears parking lot on the north end of colorado springs 1650 briargate blvd directly across from the sonic burger drive in in the chapel hills mall. Not only does the continental divide have the most rugged attitude, it is also higher in altitude than the eastern and western trails. New mexico recreational access permits continental divide.
Drivers should note that trail ridge road is closed during the winter. Ski, snowshoe, mountain bike, or hike 34 mile to enjoy continental divide cabin or point breeze cabin, both part of the 10th mountain division. South fork rio grande, rio grande all of these photos were taken with my old mavica camera, and so the quality is not very good. Single riders the polaris 500 sportsman is a serious trail machine with a lot of power, good traction and a roughandready suspension system double riders the polaris sportsman touring atv has a liquidcooled, fuelinjected, 567 cc, 4valve, dohc, singlecylinder engine.