Historic road open to ATV’s!
How to get there:
Starts from Taylor Park CR 740/CR 209 and heads south.
- From C470/US285 to Taylor Park
- 137 miles 3 hr 30 mins
- GPS
- CR 740/CR 209
- 38.8422 -106.5574
In General:
- Length: 44 miles
- Driving Time: min. 2 hours
Cumberland Pass is one of Colorado’s most scenic and historic passes. The road is passable by most passenger vehicles and is open to ATV’s.
Photo Ops:
Tincup:
town hall There are approximately 95 graves in the Tin Cup Cemetery. The first burial was T. L. Stormes on April 30, 1879. Tincup, which changed its name from Virginia City in 1882, is a small community featuring many summer residences and beautifully restored structures that hint at its colorful past.
Cumberland Pass
Spectacular vistas of the Continental Divide. There is also a great deal of mining remnants in the area, such as the Bon Ton Mine.
Pitkin:
This charming mountain town has around 80 full-time residents, and the population swells to 300 in the summer months. The city hall and the hotel are remnants of the past.
The Alpine Tunnel:
Located 17 miles east of Pitkin on FR 839. The first tunnel ever constructed through the North American Continental Divide. Next to spectacular cliffs, the road crosses a narrow man- made terrace known as the “Palisades”. The ledge is supported by a wall of hand cut native stones, two feet thick by 33 feet high and 425 feet long. The entire wall was dry laid without the use of mortar. A tribute to its talented builders, the wall remains today in the same relative condition as when first constructed in 1881.
When you reach the tunnel complex, you’ll see remnants of the massive engine house and the section house; crumbling ruins located across from the restored telegraph office. The telegraph office, constructed in 1883, remains as the centerpiece of the tunnel complex restoration efforts. Ongoing volunteer help has reconstructed the station platform and relaid 120 feet of original Denver and South Park rails.