The incredibly rough road to Scotch Creek Pass in CO

Scotch Creek Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.222m (10,570ft) above the sea level located on the boundary between Dolores and San Juan counties, in the U.S. state of Colorado.

Scotch Creek Pass

Set high in San Juan National Forest, the road to the summit is totally unpaved. It’s called Forest Road 550. This route was also known as Old Scotch Creek Toll Road or the Pinkerton Trail. It’s an incredibly rough road. This road is usually impassable from late October through late June or early July (depending on snow). It is not generally snow-free until late June or even July in some years.

4x4 vehicle required. The road to the summit is pretty steep. Starting at Forest Road 578, the ascent is 6.92km (4.3 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 401 meters. The average gradient is 5.79%.
Pic: brad Pinkerton

 

 

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