Tennessee Pass

Description The Tennessee Pass ride is a 60 mile out and back ride from Leadville crossing over Tennessee Pass to Minturn and back.  Coming out of Leadville you will travel along the Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway passing by two of Colorado's highest peaks, Mt. Elbert at 14,433 and Mt. Massive at 14,421.  Once you cross over the Continental Divide you will pass by Camp Hale, home of the 10th Mountain Division.  Further along you will see views of Mt. Holy Cross to the west, cross over the Steel Arched Bridge, pass by a ghost town, and travel along the eagle river until you have reached Minturn.
		The Route From Leadville, ride north on Highway 91, make a left on Highway 24 and ride northwest passing over the Continental Divide through the Tennesee Pass until you reach Minturn and head on back.  Alternatively, this route is also great coming in the opposite direction from Minturn or even Vail to Leadville and back.
		Hazards In some areas along Highway 24 the shoulders are very thin and the highway traffic speeds can reach 55 mph so be careful.  Also the overall elevation is fairly high, so wear sun tan lotion, bring a jacket just in case, and bring lots of water.
Difficulty Crossing over the Continental Divide at Tennesse Pass is not nearly as challenging as some mountain passes, but the overall elevation gain of around 3000 feet from Minturn to Leadville combined with the high elevation makes this a nice challenging ride.
Overall Rating: This ride includes some of the best features of riding in Colorado.  From crossing the Continental divide with views of fourteeners, Camp Hale, ghost towns, the eagle river, span bridges, and historic mining towns.  There is lots to see in between all that other mountain scenery.