Italian Pass, a Most Tricky Scenic Road
Italian Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.584m (11,758ft) above the sea level, located in Gunnison County, in the U.S. state of Colorado.
Nestled in the Rocky Mountains, within the Gunnison National Forest, the road to the summit is totally unpaved. It’s called Italian Creek Road FR759. The road is muddy sometimes and impassable from September to July. 4WD vehicle with high clearance required. It passes through an area that had a lot of mining activity. Along its way you will pass by the overgrown Last Hope Mine. There are a few remains here. To your left is the road leading to the summit of American Flag Mountain.
The road is pretty steep. Starting from Co Rd 742, the ascent is 11.42km (7.1 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 586 meters and the average gradient is 5.13%.
Pic: Joshua McNary