Independence Pass (Colorado)

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Independence Pass
The continental divide sign at the pass
Elevation	3686 m./12,095 ft.
Location	Colorado, United States
Range	Rocky Mountains
Coordinates	39.109° N 106.563° W
Topo map	USGS TopoZone listing
Traversed by	State Highway 82

View from the summit of Independence Pass

Independence Pass (el. 3686 m./12,095 ft.) is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States.

The pass is at the summit of the ridge of the Sawatch Range between Aspen and Leadville, on the border between Pitkin and Lake counties and is located within the confines of the White River National Forest. The pass connects the upper valley of the Roaring Fork River upstream from Aspen with the headwaters of the Arkansas River near Leadville. The pass is traversed by State Highway 82 and is the second-highest paved mountain pass in Colorado. The top of the pass is well above the tree line and the terrain type at the top is tundra. Its narrow road provides for slow cautious navigation on its approaches. Several switchbacks on each side of the pass make careful planning a must. The pass is always closed in winter, from the first heavy snow fall in autumn, often opening only in late May.