Weston Pass - , Colorado

Bruce Perry

Pretty easy dirt road in my stock SUV with decent ground clearance and 4WD (e.g. 4Runner). Would still be comfortable in an AWD crossover or 2WD truck.

The camping spots are plentiful, but a lot of them are right next to the road or don't offer that much that is interesting. Some of them offer nice access to the streams that flow on either side of the pass. I camped in a nice spot down by the stream on the West side, which was big enough for a large group. I arrived just before dark on a fall Saturday and most of the spots were empty.

Fall colors were past their prime in early October but still nice. If you hit the peak of fall colors it would probably be pretty great, but other than that views are somewhat underwhelming.

Heather Hyatt

A long, low-key mountain pass with plenty of primitive camping options. Super quiet on our trip through (did the entire length), we saw one other vehicle. My daughter enjoyed learning about the history of the pass from the auto tour brochure, which I read in my finest Gordon Ramsey voice. Good times. Did not have any trouble with our SUV handling the terrain.

Chris Kellogg

Pretty remote. The easier approach is from Park County (East side), passable by most 2wd vehicles with some patience assuming good weather. The Lake County (West side) approach is much rougher, 4wd advised.

As a high mountain pass, it doesn't quite rate with Independence or Guanella, both pretty close by; but, it's very quiet, few visitors, and in the right seasons astoundingly beautiful. There are some nice camping locations on both sides to add opportunity.

Patrick Hickey

Great views and exciting drive! Strongly recommend a high clearance vehicle and careful driving but even my Miata made it! Lots of dust and dry weather a must!

Jan Komrska

This is a nice drive, definitely 4WD (my SUV made it too). It is better to drive from 285 towards Leadville.

mtn k.

We drove from Leadville to Fairplay in mid-July over Weston pass. We rode in a high clearance four-wheel drive. We did not have to engage the four-wheel drive. After about 4 miles from highway 24, the road follows Big Union creek and becomes rocky and steep in spots. Vehicles who traveled this road should have high clearance and good tires that will withstand sharp rocks. The road was wide enough in most places for vehicles to pass, as long as they did it slowly and carefully. There are many places for dispersed camping along the road on both sides of the pass. Because of the fire ban, and the fact that we traveled on a week day, many of these sites were vacant. The wildflowers along the road were beautiful. Streams along the road contained beaver ponds. The area at the pass is a good place for a walk or hike above timberline. But, the natural beauty is somewhat spoiled by and large power line and a hut that sits out in the open and is not nearly as aesthetic as the 10th mountain division huts. There are several places to pull off the road below the pass on both sides, so it is easy to avoid the power line and hut. Plan to take several hours for this trip because the steep, rocky portions require slow driving and the scenery may cause you to stop often. Leave early enough to avoid lightning storms that occur frequently in early afternoon.

Rox Miller

I just discovered Weston Pass this summer after many years waiting on my bucket list. Wow!! This is my new favorite place. There are primitive camping spots all throughout the valley & each one is fantastic in its own way. The first stop in June was lower down by the river, the second stop was near the pass summit. Both trips were fantastic. The best thing I like about this valley is that no matter which way you look, there is an incredible view.

Jason Wissner

I've been going over Weston pass for many years and I'm looking forward to doing so again. It's an easy drive you can do in a passenger car but you should still be prepared for inclement weather and make sure your vehicle is in good condition, especially your tires.