Pass Bagger is a term for those that cross mountain passes to experience the best scenery and curvy roads. Every year since we moved to Colorado in 1984 I've kept track of mountain passes that we've bagged traveling by car, 4WD vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, or on foot as a way to judge whether or not we really toured the mountains like we want to. In 2005 I joined the BMW Motorcycle Club of Colorado, one reason being that I wanted to earn their Pass Bagger 50 award. The process of searching for the mountain passes around the state led to the creation of this web site and the spreadsheet. I hope it helps you find some of the great places around the Colorado Rocky Mountains also.

BMW Motorcycle Club of Colorado
Pass Bagger 50, 100, 150, 200, 250



BMW MCC Pass Bagger Book

Route planning resources (books, maps, etc.).

Colorado Mountain Passes spreadsheet with 500+ passes listed.
Includes geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) of each pass. Last update: August 22, 2023

Scott Westfall's Ride the Divides site.

Basic information about geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude).


Sanborn Souvenir Co., mid-1940s

Tennessee Pass

Through the Heart of the Rockies

U.S. Naval Convalescent Hospital

Battle Mountain Highway

Colorado Passes - Paved

Bell's Gap
Berthoud Pass
Bigelow Divide
Blue Mesa Summit
Cameron Pass
Cerro Summit
Coal Bank Pass
Columbine Pass (Routt County)
Copper Gulch Divide
Cottonwood Pass (Chaffee/Gunnison County)
Crow Hill
Cucharas Pass
Cumbres Pass
Currant Creek Pass
Dallas Divide
Dix Saddle
Douglas Pass
Dowe Pass
Emery Gap
Fall River Pass
Floyd Hill
Fremont Pass
Golden Gate Pass
Gore Pass
Grassy Gap
Greenhill Divide
Guanella Pass
Gypsum Gap
Hardscrabble Pass
Hoosier Pass (Summit/Park County)
Hoosier Pass (Teller County)
Iceberg Pass
Independence Pass
Jones Summit
Juniper Pass
Kenosha Pass
La Manga Pass
Lizard Head Pass
Long Saddle
Loveland Pass
McClure Pass
Milner Pass
Moccasin Saddle
Molas Pass
Monarch Pass
Monument Hill Divide
Mountain Shadows Pass
Muddy Pass (Grand/Jackson County)
Ninemile Gap
North La Veta Pass
North Pass (North Cochetopa Pass)
Park Hill
Pawnee Pass
Pinkham Pass
Poncha Pass
Promontory Divide
Rabbit Ears Pass
Rabbit Ears Pass (Old)
Raton Pass
Red Hill Pass
Red Mountain Pass (Ouray / San Juan Counties)
Rist Canyon Pass
Slumgullion Pass
Spring Creek Pass
Squaw Pass
Stove Prairie Pass
Tenderfoot Pass
Tennessee Pass
Trout Creek Pass
Twelvemile Pass
Twentymile Divide
Twin Creek Pass
Unaweep Divide
Ute Pass (Grand/Summit County)
Ute Pass (Teller County)
Ute Pass (La Plata County)
Vail Pass
Victor Pass
Wilkerson Pass
Willow Creek Pass
Wind River Pass
Windy Saddle
Wixson Divide
Wolf Creek Pass
Wondervu Hill
Yellowjacket Pass (Archuleta County)
Yellow Jacket Pass (Routt County)

Colorado Passes - Not paved

Antelope Pass
Antone Gap
Argentine Pass
Aztec Divide
Bassam Park Pass
Baxter Pass
Black Bear Pass
Black Sage Pass
Blizzard Pass
Blowout Pass
Blue Hill (Eagle County)
Bolam Pass
Boreas Pass
Boulder Pass
Breakneck Pass
Browns Pass
Buckhorn Pass
Buffalo Pass (Jackson / Routt Counties)
Buffalo Pass (Jackson County)
Buzzard Pass
Buzzard-Muddy Divide
Cabin Creek Divide
Calamity Pass
California Pass
Cameron Mountain Pass
Carnero Pass
Carson Pass
Chillycoat Pass
Cinnamon Pass
Coberly Gap
Cochetopa Pass
Columbine Pass (Montrose County)
Cordova Pass
Corkscrew Pass
Cottontail Pass
Cottonwood Pass (Eagle County)
Cottonwood Pass (Grand County)
Crooked Creek Pass
Culbertson Pass
Cumberland Pass
Daggett Pass
Deadman Hill Divide
Denver Pass
Dick Pass
Difficult Pass
Dunckley Pass
Dunham Gap
East Hightower Mountain Pass
East Lone Cone Pass
Elwood Pass
Empire Pass
Engineer Pass
Fawn Creek Pass
G Gap
Georgia Pass
Gill Creek Divide
Great Divide
Gunsight Pass (Grand County)
Gunsight Pass (Gunnison County)
Hagerman Pass
Hancock Pass
Hardscrabble Pass (Old)
Hardscrabble Saddle
Hayden Pass
Haystack Gate
Height Divide
Hermit Pass
Hesperus Pass
Hog Park Pass
Horse Ranch Pass
Horseshoe Pass
Hurricane Pass
Imogene Pass
Indian Pass
Indian Camp Pass
Indian Creek Pass
2022 - Indiana Pass
Jack's Cabin Pass
Jack Springs Pass
Jones Pass
Kebler Pass
Knez Divide
La Poudre Pass
La Salle Pass
Last Dollar Pass
La Veta Pass (Old)
Lone Cone Pass
Los Pinos Pass
2023 - Lou Creek Pass
Lynx Pass
Maggie Pass
Marcellina Pass
Marshall Pass
McCord Pass
Meadow Divide
Meadow Pass
Medano Pass
Milk Cow Pass
Monarch Pass - Old
Moon Pass
Mosca Pass
Mosquito Pass
Muddy Gap
Muddy Pass (Eagle County)
Napoleon Pass
Ohio Pass
Ophir Pass
Ophir Creek Pass
Owl Creek Pass
Packers Gap
Pamena Gap
Paradise Divide
Pass Creek Pass
Pawnee Pass (North)
Pearl Pass
Pennock Pass
Peon Pass
Poughkeepsie Pass
Prairie Divide
Ptarmigan Pass
Rambouillet Pass
Red Mountain Pass (Larimer County)
Reno Divide
Riflesight Notch
Ripple Creek Pass
River Hill
Rock Creek Trail Pass
Rollins Pass
Saddle Notch
Salt Creek Pass
Sams Divide
Sand Creek Pass
Sandy's Fort Pass
San Francisco Pass (Las Animas County, east)
San Francisco Pass (Las Animas County, west)
Schofield Pass
Scotch Creek Pass
Shrine Pass
Sierra Madre Pass
Simpson Pass
Soldier Summit
Sony Pass
South Pass (South Cochetopa Pass)
Spar Hill Pass
Spring Creek Pass (Gunnison County)
Stillwater Pass
Stoney Pass
Stony Pass
Stunner Pass
Sunnyside Saddle
Sunshine Saddle
Taylor Pass
The Gap (Moffat County), aka Iron Mine Gap
Tincup Pass
Tomichi Pass
Trough Road Pass
Ute Pass (Saguache County)
Wagon Gap
Watson Divide
Waunita Pass
Webster Pass
Weston Pass
Wet Canyon Pass
Whiskey Pass
Williams Pass
Willow Divide
Windy Gap
Windy Point Pass
Yellowjacket Pass (Rio Blanco County)
Yvonne Pass

Colorado Passes on Hiking Trails

Beckwith Pass
Black Powder Pass
Campion Pass
Chapin Pass
Columbine Pass (La Plata County)
Donner Pass
Forest Canyon Pass
Kennebec Pass
Monarch Pass - Original
Railroad Pass
Sams Divide
Sangre de Cristo Pass
San Luis Pass
Santa Maria Pass
Serviceberry Gap
Seven Lakes Pass
Sharkstooth Pass
Silver Pass
Swampy Pass
Veta Pass
Weminuche Pass
Windy Pass (Archuleta County)
Windy Pass (Mineral County

Colorado Gaps

Antelope Gap
Cat Creek Gap
Devils Gap
Dipper Gap
Harvey Gap
Hell Gap (Pitkin County)
Hellgate (Saguache County)
Hells Gate (Eagle County)
Limestone Gap
Martin Gap
Mormon Gap
Pinon Park Hill
Rifle Gap
Stonewall Gap
Templeton Gap
The Gap (Huerfano County)
The Gate (Gunnison County)
The Gate (Saguache County)
The Gunsight (Grand County)
The Narrows (Gunnison County)
The Narrows (Montrose County)
Trouble Hill
Wagon Wheel Gap
Windy Gap (Grand County)

Colorado Roadway Summits

Battle Mountain Summit
Blue Hill (Las Animas County)
Bondad Hill
Boone Hill
Bunker Hill
Confar Hill
Dave Wright Hill
Gage Hill
Jackson Hill
Matheson Hill
Muldoon Hill
Ninemile Hill (Bent County)
Ninemile Hill (Gunnison County)
Pass (Moffat County)
Summit (Moffat County)

Other Colorado Geographic Features

Mt. Evans
Pikes Peak
Old Alpine Tunnel, west portal

Bathtub Pass
2022 - Cedar Point Divide
Cherry Creek Pass
Coal Ridge Divide
Leopard Creek Pass
Leprechaun Pass
Mancos Divide
Parkview Pass
Pinkham Creek Pass
Slick Rock Hill
Switzer's Gulch Pass
The Notch (Larimer County)
Unnamed Gap (Huerfano County)
Willow Creek Pass (Routt County)
Ziegler Divide


Alaska Passes

Atigun Pass
Broad Pass
Eureka Summit
Klondike Highway Summit
Moose Pass
Tahneta Pass
Thompson Pass
Turnagain Pass

Arizona Passes

Cerro Montoso Summit
2022 - Bell Pass
2022 - El Capitan Pass (Pinal Pass)
2022 - Gateway Saddle
2023 - Geronimo Pass
Gonzales Pass
Mule Pass and Tunnel
2022 - Sitgreaves Pass
2022 - Wingate Pass

California Passes and Basin

Badwater Basin
Daylight Pass
Ebbetts Pass
Pacific Grade Summit
Sonora Pass

Georgia Passes and Gaps

2023 - Ringgold Gap

Idaho Passes

Banner Summit
Border Summit
2022 - Mores Creek Summit
Saint Paul Pass
Targhee Pass (ID/MT)
2022 - White Bird Hill
2022 - Willow Creek Summit

Kentucky Passes

2023 - Cumberland Gap

Montana Passes

Big Hole Pass
Chief Joseph Pass (MT/ID)
Lost Trail Pass (MT/ID)
Raynolds Pass (MT/ID)
Rogers Pass

Nebraska Passes

Mitchell Pass

Nevada Passes and Summits

2023 - Adobe Summit
2023 - Bear Creek Summit
2023 - Harrison Pass
Mount Rose Summit

Southern Nevada, east to west
on NV-319, US-93, NV-375 (ET Hwy), US-6 and US-95.

Panaca Summit
Oak Springs Summit
Pahroc Summit Pass
Hancock Summit
Coyote Summit
Queen City Summit
Warm Springs Summit
Saulsbury Summit
McKinney Tanks Summit
Tonopah Summit
Goldfield Summit

Central Nevada, west to east
on US-50, part of the Lincoln Highway.

Sand Springs Pass
Drumm Summit
New Pass Summit
Mt Airy Summit
Austin Summit
Bob Scotts Summit
Hickison Summit
Pinto Summit
Pancake Summit
Little Antelope Summit
Robinson Pass
Conners Pass
Sacramento Pass
Wheeler Peak

New Mexico Passes, Divides and Gaps

2022 - Apache Summit
2022 - Bobcat Pass
Borrego Pass
Campbell Pass
Continental Divide, on US-64 / US-84 west of Chama
Continental Divide crossings on "Ride the Divide - New Mexico"
Emory Pass
2022 - Glorieta Pass
2022 - Indian Divide
Palo Flechado Pass
Saliz Pass
Paso del Norte
San Francisco Pass
Satan Pass
San Augustin Pass
Summit (Otero County)
Tucker Gap
West Pass

Oregon Passes

Barlow Pass
Lolo Pass

South Dakota Passes

Big Foot Pass
Cedar Pass
Dillon Pass
Norbeck Pass
O'Neil Pass

Tennessee Passes

2023 - Deals Gap
Newfound Gap

Texas Passes

Bandera Pass
Dead Man's Pass
2022 - Guadalupe Pass
Metcalf Gap
Persimmon Gap
Wild Rose Pass

Some scenic fun roads in Texas.


 
 

Camp Wood to TX-41

Leakey to TX-41
 

Medina to Camp Wood

 
 

Terlingua to Presidio

Utah Passes, Summits, Divides, and Geographic Features

Bonneville Salt Flats    savethesalt.org
Daniels Summit
2022 - Geyser Pass
2022 - Hurrah Pass
2022 - La Sal Pass
Slick Rock Divide
Soldier Summit
Summit, US-50 near Nevada / Utah state line
Summit, US-50 near Salina
Summit, US-191 near Helper
Summit, UT-12 near Boulder
Summit, UT-12 near Bryce Canyon
Summit, UT-12 near Escalante
Summit, UT-56 near Cedar City
Summit, UT-72 near Fremont

Washington Passes

Barlow Pass
Blewett Pass
Disautel Pass
Loup Loup Pass
Rainy Pass
Sherman Pass
Stampede Pass
Stevens Pass
Washington Pass
Wauconda Pass

Wyoming Passes, Divides, and Gaps

Battle Pass
Beartooth Pass
Continental Divide - Lamont
Continental Divide - Rawlins
Continental Divide - Yellowstone - Lewis Lake
Continental Divide - Yellowstone - West Thumb
Craig Pass
Cutler Hill
Dead Indian Pass
Dunraven Pass
Granite Pass
Kingman Pass
Morton Pass
Muddy Gap
Powder River Pass
Sherman Summit
Snowy Range Pass
South Pass
Sylvan Pass
Teton Pass
2022 - Togwotee Pass
Union Pass

New England Passes, Gaps, Notches, and Summits

Maine, Cadillac Mountain
Maine, Evans Notch
New Hampshire, Crawford Notch
New Hampshire, Franconia Notch
New Hampshire, Kancamagus Pass
New Hampshire, Pinkham Notch
New Hampshire, Sandwich Notch
Vermont, Appalachian Gap
Vermont, Brandon Gap
Vermont, Lincoln Gap
Vermont, Middlebury Gap


Passes in Canada

Arctic-Pacific Divide, British Columbia
Chilkat Pass, British Columbia
Gnat Pass Summit, British Columbia
Kootenay Pass, British Columbia
Muncho Pass, British Columbia
Ningunsaw Summit, British Columbia
Steamboat Mountain Summit, British Columbia
Summit Lake Pass, British Columbia
Yellowhead Pass, Alberta / British Columbia

Bear Creek Summit, Yukon Territory
Continental Divide, Yukon Territory
Soldiers Summit, Yukon Territory

Passes in Bulgaria

Chipka Pass, Buzludzha Monument

Passes in Italy

2023 - Col de la Lombarde, Passo Falzarego, S. Antonio, Tro Croci, and Valparola

Passes in India

Changla Pass, Khardungla Pass, Taglangla Pass

Passes in Kyrgyzstan

Kyzyl Pass, Moldo-Ashuu Pass, Taldyk Pass

Passes in Mexico

Puerto de Lobos

Passes in Romania

Prislop Pass, Transfagarasan Highway

Passes in Spain

Puerto de Navafria

Passes in Switzerland

Glaubenbielen Pass, Oberalp Pass, Susten Pass

Passes in Tajikistan

Ak-Baital Pass, Khargush Pass, Koytezek Pass


Other Cool Places and Things Along the Way

Some of the Pass Bagger Trips
 
 
 
Ride the Divide
Colorado

 
 
Ride the Divide
New Mexico
2019

 
 
15 Colorado Continental Divide passes in one 24-hour, 1000-mile day 2006 Spank Rally to IBA Meet, via Pikes Peak and Mt Evans 2013 IBR, Pikes Peak Bonus
 
 
 
Magazine Articles
 
 
 
 
Colorado's Four Corners
 
Colorado's Tripoints
 
Other Geographic POIs
Colorado Historic Markers
 
Colorado Courthouses
 
Welcome to Colorful Colorado Colorado Trains
 
 
Union Pacific Big Boy Locomotives
 
Boy Scout Replicas of Statue of Liberty Liberty Bell Replicas
 
Soldierstone Southeast Asia Veterans Memorial
Tour of Honor
2012
Tour of Honor
2013
Tour of Honor
2014
Tour of Honor
2015
Tour of Honor
2016
Tour of Honor
2017
Tour of Honor
2018
Tour of Honor
2019
Tour of Honor
2020
Tour of Honor
2021
Tour of Honor
2022
Tour of Honor
2023

BMW MOA Grand Coddiwomple 2021

BMW MOA Grand Coddiwomple 2022

BMW MOA Grand Coddiwomple 2023
GLMC Grand Tour 2014 GLMC Grand Tour 2015 GLMC Grand Tour 2016
IBA and LD License Plates
 
Veteran, law enforcement and fire fighter license plates. 1919 M&ATA LDrider Medals

photo from AMA Life Member brochure, 02/2013
Join the American Motorcyclist Association.
It is $ well spent.


Looking east from Loveland Pass.


Notes

From "The Passes of Colorado" by Ed and Gloria Helmuth: "We have chosen to define a pass as the point used to cross a ridge that divides two watersheds. "Divide" and "saddle" are other descriptive words sometimes used to identify passes. Most passes are the low point between two higher points and are shaped as a saddle; "divide" describes the water division. Some passes are named "gap", yet meet the criteria of a pass as given here. ... Any low spot in a mountain range could be considered a pass; however, we recognize in this book only those locations that have had use as a trail, railroad crossing, or roadway, and that have been or are known with a pass name. Other low spots are crossed with roads; however, if no name has ever been associated with such a locale, it is not listed in this work. Some passes are no longer used. If there had once been a use for such a crossings and a name had been given, those passes are included. Now, what a pass is not. A pass is not a gap - a gap is not a pass. A gap is cut through a rock or mountain barrier that has usually been formed by water. A gap has no watershed division associated with it; rather, the same watershed is present on both sides of the gap."

From "Hiking the Highest Passes of Colorado" by Bob Martin: "Besides the passes with official names, there are many passes in Colorado that are known by unofficial names. Such names are not shown on the United States Geological Survey topographic maps and have not been approved by the United States Board on Geographic Names. However, such unofficial names often are used in reference books and may be common in local usage. Consequently, many of the passes with unofficial names are better known than some passes with official names."

From "Mountain Passes" by Clyde and Chloe Edmundson: "...what is a pass? Passes are sometimes called divides, gaps or notches but the basic characteristic of a pass is that it divides two major watersheds." The Edmundsons use the word "recognized" in several places: "The fundamental purpose of this book is to name (list), to locate and to describe the recognized passes, gaps, and divides in Colorado." "In the above list of passes, gaps and divides, we have always included the names of official maps to show where they are located. All are recognized by present day catographers."



© 2005-23 Randy Bishop
Last modified: December 6, 2023