Climb 5 Famous Mountain Passes in One Week
Don't let the mileage fool you! This is a challenging Colorado cycling vacation with big climbs up steep mountain passes every day. The ride begins and ends in Gunnison, tracing a loop through the old mining towns of the San Juan mountain range.
Each day we'll bike a famous Colorado mountain pass, including Wolf Creek, Red Mountain, Coal Bank, Engineer and Slumgullion, the steepest pass in Colorado. We also visit the historic mining towns of Creede, Lake City, Pagosa Springs, Silverton, Ouray, Telluride and 2 nights in Durango.
Day |
Weekday |
Ride Day |
Route |
Elevation Gain |
Miles |
12 |
Sunday |
... |
Check-in & Orientation 8:00am |
--- |
--- |
. |
1 |
Gunnison to Lake city |
3,700' |
57 |
|
13 |
Monday |
2 |
Lake City to South Fork |
4,100' |
74 |
14 |
Tuesday |
3 |
South Fork to Pagosa Springs |
3,300' |
49 |
15 |
Wednesday |
4 |
Layover Day in Durango |
2,000' |
0-50 |
16 |
Thursday |
5 |
Durango to Silverton |
5,800' |
50 |
17 |
Friday |
6 |
Silverton to Montrose |
2,100' |
62 |
18 |
Saturday |
7 |
Montrose to Gunnison |
4,800' |
66 |
... |
.... |
... |
Total |
24,000' |
358 |
Route Map
This Colorado bike Tour starts in Gunnison, Colorado. If you are flying, we suggest you fly into Denver Friday morning, and then either take a connector flight to Gunnison, or rent a car for the week and drive there. It is a 4-5 hour drive to Gunnison from Denver.
We meet at the Holiday Inn Express in Gunnison at 8:00am Saturday morning and start the ride after a short orientation. Riders should be in Gunnison Friday evening so they are ready for the Saturday morning start.
On day one we bike from Gunnison to Lake City, Colorado, a small mountain town nestled at the junction of the Alpine Loop and Silver Thread Scenic Byways. Today's highlights are miles of river and forest with occasional mountaintop views of the San Juans. Grades average 6-8% today with the big climb coming tomorrow.
57 miles / 3,700 ft. elevation gain
We leave Lake City, cycling toward the base of Slumgullion Pass, the steepest mountain pass in Colorado. With prolonged grades of 8-11%, Slumgullion tops out at a lung-busting 11,580'. After earning lunch and dinner for the day, we'll summit 10,898' Spring Creek Pass along the Continental Divide, before enjoying 20 miles of descent into the historic mining town of Creede, the last silver boomtown in Colorado in the 1800's.
74 miles / 4,100 ft. elevation gain
On Day 4 we'll cycle over two thousand feet on the Silver Thread Scenic Byway as we summit the Continental Divide for the second time at the top of Wolf Creek Pass (10,850'). If you've ever heard the song of the same name, you know the descent off Wolf Creek is steep! We'll pass waterfalls and scenic panoramas on our way down to Pagosa Springs, famous for their giant hot springs. After soaking in the springs, we'll shuttle a busy section of highway to Durango. Our hotel sits right in the heart of downton Durango, so you won't have to walk far to enjoy this super popular outdoors town.
49 miles / 3,300 ft. elevation gain
Durango is a fun mountain town with lots to do and see. Choose how you want to spend your day. Walk around the quaint downtown area from our hotel. Take a historic train ride to Silverton and back. Ride one of the mountain passes surrounding the town. Rent a mountain bike and hit the Colorado Trail. Go river rafting on the river that runs through the middle of town. Go for a hike on the 100's of miles of trails. The hardest part is choosing what to do with the day!
Today we will be cycling the route of the famous Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, a race where cyclists originally tried to beat the steam train over two mountain passes to the historic mining town of Silverton. Once the stomping ground of silver kings and railroad giants, Silverton survives today as one of Colorado’s most visited destinations. After summiting 10,660' Coal Bank Pass, we'll enjoy a short three mile descent before climbing back up to 10,900' Molas Divide. You've earned the stellar views as you descend 2,000' into town where the historic Grand Imperial Hotel and Handlebars Saloon await.
50 miles / 5,800 ft. elevation gain
We start the day by cycling out of Silverton along the “Million Dollar Highway”, part of the San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway. The day starts with a climb as We ascend 11,018' Red Mountain Pass before an out-of-this-world descent into the cliff-hanging town of Ouray.After lunch in the ice-climbing capital of Colorado, we'll cruise 30 miles of downhill and flats into the town of Montrose, gateway to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison park.
62 miles / 2,100 ft. elevation gain
Our final day highlights the 2,000 foot deep Black Canyon of the Gunnison and the source of its winding river, Blue Mesa lake. A scenic side trip into this recently designated National Park will give you the chance to marvel at the depth of "Colorado's Own Grand Canyon." We then ride along Blue Mesa Lake on our way back to Gunnison and the end of our epic climbing tour!
66 miles / 4,800 ft. elevation gain
Lunch on ride days is always included. On this Tour 1 group dinner is included and riders are on their own for the remaining, with suggested seating times for those wishing to dine with others. A continental breakfast is always included of Greek yogurt, a selection of natural cereals, Bagels, cream cheese, etc. Hot breakfasts are on your own and require eating early in the Lodges.