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Two young Mennonite women enjoying the spectacular view at Imogene Pass
Imogene Pass is a 13,114 ft mountain pass in southwestern Colorado perched high in the sky between Ouray and Telluride in the San Juan Mountains. Each September, 1,600 runners participating in the Imogene Pass Run sprint out of Ouray to tackle the steep ascent up this fabled pass before descending down the other side of the rocky, rutted 17-mile trail that was originally created for miners.
Thankfully, that’s not the only way to get here.
You can drive your own four-wheel drive vehicle, rent an ATV or take a guided jeep tour to Imogene Pass, San Juan Mountain’s highest pass from either town. To drive the route that runners go takes an average of 4 hours. Even though I was driving a 4WD Jeep through Colorado, I never considered driving this road myself. The narrow rutted road is rated 4.5 on a 5 point difficulty scale, has twisty hairpin turns, and dangerous dropoffs with no guard rails. And July is monsoon season. Afternoon thunderstorms can make these roads scary slippery.
There’s no where to turn around once you start up the pass. Imagine the panic being stuck at the wheel if you’re in the wrong vehicle or simply too inexperienced…creeping over the rocks ever so slowly…gripping the wheel as you tip up in the air and bounce back over a rock, straightening and maneuvering your space along the narrow edge…trying not to glance sideways at the cliff or further below. This pass is certainly no match for novice off-road drivers like me. So we left the white-knuckle driving to the professionals.
That way we could relax & have fun!
In Ouray, there are quite a few companies offering jeep tours, but not all visit the same places every day. My teenage daughter and I signed up with Colorado West as I was keen on visiting Imogene Pass. Located on the main drag in town, it was easy to find their business on the left side of the road coming from Ridgway.
Our personable and experienced driver was a hoot and made the whole experience fun. We were the first and only people to get on, then swung by a motel to pick up the rest of the participants who, ironically, were also from Indiana! They were a group of young Mennonites in their early 20’s traveling through southwestern Colorado.
Heading out of Ouray, we followed Yankee Boy Basin trail and crossed over Canyon Creek. Our guide stopped to share some history of the mines operating around here then drove past Camp Bird Mine where we saw equipment moving around. The mine has renewed activity as the new owner has lots of cleaning up do before it can reopen. We continued up around the mine along the Upper Camp Bird Mine road, where from there the ascent got rough and steep.
This boulder keeps inching down. When it drops—(and rolls across the road to the cliff below)—nobody knows.
On the trail heading up Imogene Pass.
Pretty falls and wildflowers along the way up. Peak blooming season is mid-July.
Up, up and away…
Getting higher…
Almost at the top…
Bumping along, the ride was breathtaking and fun!
Exploring the mountain top on a 15 minute stop…the view facing north.
On top of the world at 13,114 feet… view facing southeast. Spot the old miner’s cabin on the edge of the lake?
Looking east…historic Red Mountain Town surrounded by 13,000-plus red mountain peaks.
Hope the driver has good brakes!
Time to do back down…
This patch of snow sticks around all year. Imogene Pass usually opens up around July 4th depending on the snow pack–how much fell and when it melts.
Oh-oh! Cars coming up have the right of way…
Our jeep tour to Imogene Pass with Colorado West lasted 4 hours. There are quite a few tour options to different locations, but this jeep tour to Imogene Pass I highly recommend!! Our vehicle was equipped with rain covers and thick blankets (handy for covering camera in the dusty conditions and snuggling into when cold). Tours depart at either 8am or 1pm daily in summer months, but check the website for weather conditions first.
Need a place to stay? Check out the options in Ouray.
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