---
template: byway.jade
id: "2110"
name: Guanella Pass Road
distance: "22"
duration: 1 hour
description: "The route is a crash course in Rocky Mountain ecosystems, leaping the steep divide between the South Platte and Clear Creek watersheds."
contact: "**Clear County Tourism Board**  \r\n 303-567-4660  \r\n\r\n"
path: "gsiqFlccdSNwAKoBNQNJrAtJ@lBa@dBDLR?`@g@VkATyCAeBTuBGsBKmAi@_CB_@NIJDvCdIJj@?rDHhBb@jDCr@e@jA?LTPXKh@}AD_AIuBBgBbDaJDq@OaC|@gDZo@l@O`BQp@DxEdB`Fx@rBF~B~@|B~Al@XdAFhDpArDR|@j@dB~BlAr@pHrB`HzBrDjBhDfCbCp@lCzA|F~AtDP|CEv@L^\\B^SXs@HcBGUL?VTXzBX`EEx@MfAq@Xa@x@_C~AyAZQ|Aa@dBy@hACPGt@{Ah@_@rC_AdAk@RJC^cCfAq@f@O^FpDAlAEd@c@rAcBz@cE^OJAPPJxA?dAT~@~@fArCj@fA`CtAp@h@v@|A^d@nBRpBh@nB]~@cAfCa@bEwCpDuAdEeDlBgA|CFhEpAlD^~DX|@Qp@DjAVxBt@|APdAtAr@vAPr@R~B\\~@d@d@xBt@fDfBdAZjHfA|LlA`AX|DLz@Pr@z@lCvBRD`AQlCmCrAD~ARhAAbAk@nAgA`GkBZ?pD`B^An@ItA{@lAWhAAbALt@?|@g@~@WjIo@~@FlF~@nCPzBb@~DBrASjCy@v@FrAlA^LlAc@j@KhDx@RX^xB|@t@nAVbCg@lBRx@l@JVRtA~@fA|CdBd@JxE?jC`AxDjB`E`AlE\\t@_@n@EhAL~@^l@dAn@X|AAtAq@pE`ApEh@pAI\\DdA|@|@`@rDlAt@BxAZbCpAb@JxBQt@LvDfD~D\\zFdAzF`BfCBtCn@x@b@bCRh@z@x@jCx@x@TDx@QhHmC`FjCHc@Y{ABq@d@eASuHL_@TQTDVv@`@f@f@A^Q`@s@LyAb@m@tAyAhAc@n@i@lC}CnCgCp@gAjBeA\\AGb@_@h@oBzGeA~B?NTAdAgBtGgHtAy@~AsAjAc@j@yAbAmAnAu@hAWlFeCrB{B^Y~Aq@LJ?RcApAsArDiBtAYd@BV|EkA~@e@|AmAdAQb@RPp@lArAlCrBTJhF^fAXfDnChAdBhBdEtA~AXn@bAfFhBxG|AxCbCrBdAdAdBpAjHvBvAN~AErBe@|Ea@bCCrFX~BVzDx@hAf@n@d@lB~BnCzB`DdDn@Zp@Hz@Y~C_@zARhAE\\DD^e@lA?rADx@p@`El@rC^d@`C~Ab@l@Tl@Dp@?^Yx@n@PfD@rAe@~AiBrAsE^c@r@[d@E`GD~JGfCWdDMhD_Ah@ShAeArAeBhBuDrCqCjLoH~DmB`Cy@bFqDrDyAhEa@pHOtJ?hEb@vFQHPERkPrD}Bx@o@d@i@p@C`@Dl@f@dArErCbA`@bCTrCQ|HkA|Ea@nDeB`As@rC_D~@g@bAQbIj@nFdAzD`@lA`@xBhAhEh@bA^jFjEnD~B|@hAzCjH|A~EvAfCn@n@hAThAh@pCjDtC~BhC`C~AdAfBf@|Ev@nBf@fGvDvDl@tA`@dCd@rHl@~FdBvT_IrAs@~@u@bEwEvDaF^o@rAoDj@aAb@a@fDqBnAsBh@gCJsBVwAjD{NzIkV`GeVn@sAv@iAjBsAfDaBbEyAr@?hAl@jAbAb@Nb@Ah@e@x@eAlAoBlAwCj@y@fAoAHi@Ag@Oy@Y_@}BwAs@gAUeAUmBD[R_@TKZXL`@@|AVn@Vb@vC`Bb@j@Tx@XJXIHUDe@[kAGm@F{AF_@bDkGv@{BxAqFdBaBrAm@`EqA~FoCzCcAZYl@_AbC{F~AmAr@SnBeBb@m@ZaC|@eAd@KfFKfDs@hD_@xBgAfC}@dABbClArADx@IbDu@~@_@h@_@xAqBpAmArGiBnDi@fBMdA@hJ~BzAMxDAlBc@h@Y|BgDbBaFz@yAb@mAn@qAdB_Bx@g@xBy@|@k@l@sAhBkBvDy@LMN_@LkAIsDHu@N_@lByBzA_CpAs@nCaA|GkGfBe@x@{@d@aBj@}ErB{FxA{I|C{K|@wBh@u@rAy@xDkApDe@tAi@vEkDbDaEtBsBh@eAVmAZuM\\gDnCkIbEuGrAkB|AkA|EiChC_Ah@{G"
websites: 
  - url: "http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/arp/home"
    name: "Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland"
  - url: "http://www.clearcreekcounty.org/"
    name: Clear Creek County Tourism Board
  - url: "http://www.coloradodot.info/travel/scenic-byways/north-central/guanella-pass"
    name: Guanella Pass
designations: 
  - National Forest Scenic Byway
  - Colorado State Scenic Byway
states: 
  - CO
ll: 
  - -105.69798300000002
  - 39.70372000000009
bounds: 
  - - -105.73165099999994
    - 39.45954899999998
  - - -105.66171999999995
    - 39.70372000000009

---

<p>This well-settled road leap-frogs the steep divide between the
South Platte and Clear Creek watersheds, passing through a
succession of distinct environments. The lower elevations are green
and wet, with thick stands of spruce, fir, aspen, and pine rising
along cascading creeks. Higher up, the streams snake through broad
meadows, succoring thirsty mammals, nesting birds, and the
industrious beaver, The road crests well above the timberline,
where every spring the grasses and flowers stubbornly renew, and
the fragile tundra thaws and blossoms.</p>
<div><em>Mining Legacy</em></div>
The Guanella Pass Road known to visitors today was once an old
wagon trail used by miners traveling between Georgetown and Grant.
Gold lured miners and others to the area, but it was silver that
brought prosperity to the valley. Well-preserved Victorian
structures in Georgetown remind visitors of a day when the town was
known as &#8220;Silver Queen of the Rockies.&#8221; Silver brought
Cornish, Irish, English, Italian, German, and Scandinavian miners
to the area, adding to the already existing culture.<br>
<br>
<div><em>Exploring the Byway</em></div>
Before the automobile and sightseeing trips, mountain men traveled
through this area in search of the prized beaver. Today, visitors
can explore the Rocky Mountains along well-established trails.
Hiking, horseback riding, biking, and backcountry exploring are all
popular activities along the trails. Numerous camp spots, fishing
holes, and four-wheel drive roads also hold adventure for the
traveler.<br>
<br>
