Tennessee Pass (Colorado)
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| Tennessee Pass | |
|---|---|
 Summit of Tennessee Pass along U.S. Highway 24, showing the memorial to the 10th Mountain Division |
|
| Elevation | 10,424 ft./3117 m. |
| Location | Colorado,  United States |
| Range | Sawatch Range |
| Coordinates | |
| Topo map | Terraserver map |
| Traversed by | U.S. Highway 24 Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad |
Tennessee Pass (el. 10,424 ft./3117 m.) is high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States.
The pass traverses the continental divide north of Leadville in a gap between the northern end of the Sawatch Range to the west and the northern end of the Mosquito Range to the east. It connects the headwaters of the Arkansas River to the south with the upper valley of the Eagle River (in the watershed of the Colorado River) to the north. The pass is traversed by U.S. Highway 24, allowing access between Leadville and Interstate 70 in the Eagle Valley. The pass has a gentle approach on both sides with few steep gradients and no major switchbacks. The summit of the pass is nearly level. The road over the pass is generally open all year round, easily negotiable by most vehicles, and closes only during severe winter storms.
The summit of the pass is the location of Ski Cooper, a ski area in the San Isabel National Forest operated by permit from the United States Forest Service. Most of the area is above the tree line, providing a panoramic view of the peaks of the Sawatch Range to visitors. The area was formerly a World War II training ground for United States Army troops of the 10th Mountain Division from nearby Camp Hale. A memorial to troops of the division is located at the summit of the pass.
The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad constructed a narrow gauge railroad over Tennessee Pass in 1881. As part of the conversion of the line to standard gauge in 1890, a tunnel was constructed about 200 ft (60 m) below the summit, and was replaced by a newer tunnel in 1945. This line remains the highest mainline railroad mountain pass in the United States, and with grades in places exceeding 3%, it was one of the most challenging mainline railroad routes. Shortly after the acquisition of the line by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1996, all of the traffic over this difficult crossing was rerouted, and it has been dormant since 1997.
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