| Hagerman Pass | |
|---|---|
A train in Hagerman Pass, 1899 |
|
| Elevation | 11,939 ft (3,639 m) [1] |
| Traversed by | Unpaved road |
| Location | |
| Location | Lake / Pitkin counties, Colorado, USA |
| Range | Sawatch Range |
| Topo map | USGS Homestake Reservoir |
Hagerman Pass, elevation 11,939 ft (3,639 m), is a high mountain pass that crosses the continental divide in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States.
The pass was named for James J. Hagerman, builder of the Colorado Midland Railroad. The Colorado Midland railroad crossed the continental divide through one of two tunnels (initially the Hagerman Tunnel, later the Busk-Ivanhoe Tunnel at lower altitude) near the top of Hagerman pass. It traverses the Sawatch Range west of Leadville, connecting the headwaters of the Arkansas River on the east with the upper valley of the Fryingpan River above Basalt, in the basin of the Colorado River.
The pass is traversed by an unimproved road that is passable only with four-wheel drive vehicles and on foot. Two-wheel drive vehicles will find it difficult due to some stream crossings and rocky sections. It is open from approximately late May through the arrival of the first heavy snow in mid or late autumn. The road has occasionally been blocked by fallen trees.