The Ute Pass summit
sits at 9,165 feet on Highway 24 and divides the Arkansas River watershed
from the Platte River watershed in Divide, Colorado. Compared to other Colorado passes,
the Ute Pass summit is not regarded as a very scenic destination spot, but
it does get a lot of daily commuter traffic. It does, however,
have one odd distinction from all other major passes:
Ute Pass is the only pass that has a traffic light close to the summit!
The more serious types of road bicyclers tend to enjoy riding to the summit,
beginning way down at 6,000 feet on the west end of Colorado Springs.
This continuous divide that seperates these two watersheds (which includes Palmer Divide near Monument, Colorado)
can also be reached on
Highway 67 in Woodland Park, approximately 0.5 miles north of the Highway 24 & 67 junction.
(That particular pass does not even have a name!)
Below are just a couple of photos of the views at the Ute Pass Summit. Enjoy!
