Motorcycle Ride Planner · Routes · United States

Independence Pass (Top of the Rockies)

United States · CO-82

Ascends to 12,095 feet along the Continental Divide, standing as the highest paved mountain pass over the Rockies. Features extreme high-altitude alpine terrain with single-lane squeeze points, overhanging granite roofs, tight rock-lined hairpins, and steep unguarded drop-offs above the tree line. Open only seasonally from late May through October.

Independence Pass (Top of the Rockies) runs 38 miles between Twin Lakes, CO and Aspen, CO. We count about 180 corners along it, which is consistently bendy. A hard road that rewards experience and punishes bravado.

Tank-bag quick reference

• StartTwin Lakes, CO39.0825, -106.3797
• High7,908 ft - 12,095 ft (Continental Divide)elevation range
• EndAspen, CO39.1911, -106.8175

T-CLOCS before you go: tyres and wheels, controls and cables, lights and electrics, oil and fluids, chassis and stand.

More in United States

• California Route 36 - '140 Miles of Curves'140 mi · 1800 corners
• Blue Ridge Parkway (Virginia Ridge & Peaks of Otter)176 mi · 620 corners
• Blue Ridge Parkway (Southern High Peaks Section)129 mi · 580 corners
• The Snake 421 (Holston Mountain Pass)33 mi · 489 corners
• Coronado Trail (The Devil's Highway)92 mi · 460 corners
• Lolo Pass (Lewis and Clark Highway)132 mi · 450 corners

Questions riders ask

How long does Independence Pass (Top of the Rockies) take to ride?

About 38 miles. At an unhurried pace with stops that is roughly 1 hour of riding, longer if you are stopping for photographs.

Where does Independence Pass (Top of the Rockies) start and end?

It runs between Twin Lakes, CO and Aspen, CO. Either end works as a start; the route reads the same in both directions.

Is Independence Pass (Top of the Rockies) a twisty road?

We count about 180 corners across 38 miles, which is consistently bendy.

Is there a GPX file for Independence Pass (Top of the Rockies)?

Yes. The GPX is free, there is no account, and the planner will build a route that includes this road alongside others nearby.

Where these numbers come from

Distances and corner counts come from the route's own geometry, not from ratings or votes. Nothing here is crowdsourced and nobody paid to appear.