• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Uncover Colorado Logo

  • Blog
  • Activities
    • Year-round
      • Brewery Tours
      • Casinos & Gaming
      • Caves
      • Colorado Brands
      • Escape Rooms
      • Federal Lands
      • Food & Dining
      • Ghost Towns
      • Gondola & Chairlifts
      • Hot Springs
      • Lakes
      • Landmarks
      • Mine Tours
      • Mountains
      • Museums
      • Paintball
      • Performing Arts
      • Public Parks
      • Rivers
      • Scenic Drives
      • Sightseeing Tours
      • Shopping
      • Sports Teams
      • State Parks
      • Train Rides
      • Transportation
      • Winery Tours
      • Wildlife
      • Zip Lines & Aerial Parks
    • Spring, Summer & Fall
      • Amusement Parks
      • ATV Rentals
      • Biking
      • Boating
      • Camping
      • Drive-In Theaters
      • Fishing
      • Golf Courses
      • Hiking
      • Horseback Riding
      • Jeep Rentals
      • Rock Climbing
      • Tubing & Paddling
      • Waterfalls
      • Whitewater Rafting
    • Winter
      • Cross Country Skiing
      • Dog Sledding
      • Ice Climbing
      • Ice Fishing
      • Ice Skating
      • Skiing & Snowboarding
      • Sleigh Rides
      • Snow Tubing
      • Snowbiking
      • Snowmobiling
      • Snowshoeing
  • Events
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
  • Lodging
    • Budget Hotels
    • Historic Hotels
    • Luxury Hotels
    • Bed & Breakfasts
    • Boutique Hotels
    • Cabins & Glamping
    • Casinos w/ Lodging
    • Hot Spring w/ Lodging
    • Wineries w/ Lodging
    • Best Hotels
    • Dude Ranches
    • Campgrounds
  • Towns
  • Trip Planner
  • Search
  • Blog
  • Activities
  • Events
  • Lodging
  • Towns
  • Trip Planner
Berthoud Pass, CO
Berthoud Pass, CO. Photo: Berthoud Pass, CO. Photo: Alankaar

Berthoud Pass – Empire-Winter Park

FacebookTwitter

Connecting the alpine towns of Empire and Winter Park, Berthoud Pass is an accessible mountain pass along the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains. The pass splits the Clear Creek and Grand counties and can be reached along the paved US Highway 40.

US Route 40 is a prominent route in Colorado, which reaches Kansas to the East and Utah to the West. The road travels through cities like Steamboat Springs and Denver, but crosses the Continental Divide at Berthoud Pass between Empire and Winter Park. It summits at 11,307 feet in elevation.

History

Berthoud Pass, CO
Berthoud Pass, CO. Photo: scott1346

Berthoud Pass was first discovered by, and named for, the Colorado Central Railroad Chief Surveyor Edward L. Berthoud. The pass was not deemed suitable for railroad travel, but rather as a wagon road.

The first building on the pass was known as โ€œthe Summit House,โ€ which served as a tollgate and home to Captain Gaskill. In the early 1920โ€™s, an Inn and restaurant were built, which each served customers until 1939 when the building was struck by lightning and dismantled.

Berthoud Pass, CO
Berthoud Pass, CO. Photo: Alex Kerney

Thanks to easy access to the summit, Berthoud Pass quickly became an attraction for downhill skiing. Throughout the 1930โ€™s and 1940โ€™s, the Berthoud Pass Ski Area attracted thousands of visitors exploring the backcountry. In 1947 the Berthoud Pass Lodge, Inc. built a ski lodge and opened Coloradoโ€™s first two-person chairlift. The companyโ€™s ownership traded hands several times throughout the following decades and would be the first ski area to allow snowboarders on the lifts during the 1970โ€™s.

Due to competition from larger resorts such as the nearby Winter Park, operation of the Berthoud ski area ceased permanently in 2003 and the Forest Service tore down the lodge 2 years later. You’ll still find backcountry skiers shredding its former slopes every winter.

Berthoud Pass Accessibility

Berthoud Pass, CO
Berthoud Pass, CO. Photo: Heath Alseike

US Highway is a paved route that can be accessed by most passenger vehicles. The summit is reached by way of many steep switchbacks, so it is advised for vehicles in healthy working order. Near the summit of the pass, there is a warming hut, two scenic viewing areas, and a building with toilets provided by the U.S. Forest Service seasonally.

Vehicle Restrictions – Berthoud Pass does not have any vehicle restrictions, however Colorado Traction and Chain Laws apply to potentially dangerous winter travel. The pass is generally open year round but can be closed due to extreme weather conditions.

Activities on Berthoud Pass

Ski at Berthoud Pass, CO
Backcountry ski at Berthoud Pass, CO. Photo: Paul A. Fagan

Although the lodge is no longer standing, backcountry skiing is still very popular in the Berthoud Pass area. Skilled riders can park at the summit and ride down the slope without a fee or permit. Riders generally leave a car at the bottom or hitchhike back to the top.

In the summer, there are great hiking opportunities featuring waterfalls, seasonal wildflowers and stunning views around Berthoud Pass. The Continental Divide Trail passes by Empire at Berthoud Pass.

Berthoud Pass CO Winter Biker
Dedication on Berthoud Pass. Photo: Greg Younger
Berthoud Pass sign, CO
Berthoud Pass sign, CO. Photo: Alex Kerney
Berthoud Pass, CO
Berthoud Pass, CO. Photo: Paul Iwancio

Details

Address: U.S. Route 40, Empire to Winter Park, CO

Season: Year round

Elevation: 11,307 ft (3,446 m)

County: Clear Creek County |ย Grand County

Mountain Range: Continental Divide

Coordinates: 39ยฐ47โ€ฒ52โ€ณN, 105ยฐ46โ€ฒ37โ€ณW

Access: US 40

Primary Sidebar

Join our Colorado travel community

Enter your email below and grab our free locals' guide and monthly what's up designed to help you live your Colorado life and uncover fun things to do. โ€”and never miss out again.

Recent Posts

  • 7 Best Breweries in Colorado Springs
  • The Top Wine Shops around Denver
  • 9 Best Motorcycle Rides in Colorado
  • 2022-23 Colorado Ski Resort Season Opening & Closing Dates
  • 12 Marvelous Hiking Trails near Montrose

Footer

Get In Touch

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Resources
  • Disclaimer
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter

Disclosure: Uncover Colorado is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Things To Do

  • Travel Blog
  • Colorado Activities
  • Colorado Events
  • Colorado Towns
  • Colorado Hotels
  • Colorado Restaurants
  • Colorado Transportation
  • Made in Colorado

Cheers! Mile High Happy Hour shares showcases Denver neighborhoods' restaurant happy hours.

Winter Activities

  • Federal Lands
  • Ghost Towns
  • Hot Springs
  • Ice Skating
  • Ski Resorts
  • Snow Tubing
  • State Parks
  • Train Rides

Copyright © 2023 ยท Uncover Colorado | Sitemap | Advertise