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1.(7730ft,mile00) START-END NORTH: Dowd Junction, connects with Vail Pass profile 2.(7840ft,mile02) town of  Minturn 3.(9267ft,mile08) Battle Hill Summit 4.(8560ft,mile10) START-END NORTH-ALTERNATE: left leads to Redcliff and Shrine Pass profile; straight to Tennessee Pass 5.(9340ft,mile15) north end of Camp Hale, Kokomo Pass profile connects to this point 6.(10424ft,mile22) TOP: Tennessee Pass 7.(10190ft,mile31) junction with Fremont Pass road, continue right to Leadville 8.(10190ft,mile31) START-END SOUTH: Leadville

Approaches

From North. The largest part of the elevation gain to Tennessee Pass is  really part of Battle Hill Summit. The most persistent climbing workout is on that stretch. After crossing the turnoff to Redcliff, the ride takes on a forested valley character, propelling the rider to 10400 feet through a variety of rolling hills, and gentle forested inclines. This is one of the most gentle ways to get to that altitude in the state. Maybe for that reason, the pass is often cycled in this direction. The top of the pass in in open forest, with surrounding mountains gently sloping far above.

From South. Looking at the profile, you might ask what approach ? The top of the pass is only 200 feet higher than the starting point, Leadville. Still, this part of the road has the best distant views onto the northern Sawatch Range.

Tours

Dayrides-Road All Front Range Bicycle Clubs run between one to three rides over what is referred to as the Copper Triangle Route. This one day circle of three passes Vail Pass, Tennessee and Fremont Pass (really four, when also counting Battle Hill Summit)  is probably the nicest one day mountain circle for road bicycles, that is quickly accessible from the Front Range communities. 

Dayrides-Paved and Unpaved: (trails, dirt road and pavement). A  circular dayride skimming over the top of four passes, a sort of MTB version of the Copper Triangle is as follows: Copper Mountain > Searle Pass > Kokomo Pass > Camp Hale > Tennessee Pass > Fremont Pass > Copper Mountain; 59 miles measuered with an onboard mechanical odometer (m1.92.08.26).

Three Day Road Tour: A three day tour that includes Tennessee Pass goes like this. Day 1: Starting in Fairplay, cross Trout Creek Pass and ride uphill to Leadville, 76 miles. Day 2: Cross this pass to Vail, climb Vail Pass to Frisco, 72 miles. Last Day: Cross Hoosier Pass back to starting point, 43 miles. Many other overnight options exist. All mileages include a few "around town miles" .(m1.92.06.19-21).

One Week (Very) Large Group Ride: (<Wind River Pass|Hesperus Pass>):  The Denver Posts "Ride the Rockies" crossed Tennessee Pass four times between 86 and 05, which is not that often for a pass so close to Denver. The reason for this is that a route over Tennessee often makes a route over Vail inevitable in order to connect to Denver. Vail Pass however is less than perfectly suited for 5000 bicycle wheels at one time. A route over Tennesee avoiding Vail was followed in 88 93 98 and 01. The day's stage was Vail to Frisco, Avon to Frisco and Buena Vista to Avon.

Extended Road Tour. The day over Tennessee Pass can also include Vail Pass. It connects overnight stops in Leadville and Frisco. The day can be shortened by choosing the Fremont Pass option. On the western side the route connects to Independence Pass. On the eastern side (after crossing Battle Hill Summit), Vail Pass immediately joins with this profile.

History

Fremont (<Currant Creek Pass): The pass was well known by trappers and traders of the 1830s.  But the official discovery of Teennesee Pass is credited to professional hero Lieutenant Fremont and his ragged group of "topographical engineers", consisting of former trappers, traders and mountain guides. The fact that the adjacent pass to the south carries Fremont's name, and not this pass, is an oddity. But then again maybe it is quite fitting.

Fremont had a deep desire to explore high Colorado passes ever since he got the job mapping the west for possible emigration and military routes from his father in law. That just happened to be Senator Hart Benton, originator of the catchphrase "Manifest Destiny". America was destined to become a continental power stretching from sea to shining sea, which would also include California, Oregon and Mexiico, all of which where still officially spanish. Fremont's previous two expeditions had centered around Wyoming and its emigration highway west, the Oregon Trail. Only on his way back home during his second expedition had he penetrated the Rockies over Hoosier Pass and Currant Creek Pass.

During Fremont's third expediton in August 1845, he finally returned to the Colorado Rockies and found Tenneesee Pass. However, now the manifest destiny thing was really gathering stream. His wife Jesse did her part too by embellishing stories of what happened to Kit Carson, Tom Fitzpatrick and their leader - her husband - in the wild west. Brigham Young was amongst the people studying Fremont's account of the west and making plans to hit the trail with a sizable contingent of followers. Meanwhile the mexican government reacted furiousely to the american annexation of Texas. Manifest destiny now called for Fremont's military services further west. They were about to be converted to military rifleman in a mission to conquer California with the blessing of president Polk. Ironically, Fremont now had little time to develop enthusiasm or pay much attention to further Colorado Pass explorations, and he barely mentions this pass in his journal. It would later be named after the home state of assorted prosepectors who frequented the area.

Fremont did return to passes in the Colorado Rockies one more time, several years later, now decomissioned but still working for his father in law. Years before the official Gunnison transcontinental railroad survey he was trying to do essentially the same thing in the Cochetopa Pass area.

Hayden Survey (<Willow Creek Pass|Yellowjacket Pass>): Tennessee Pass was crossed by the Hayden Survey in their first summer of surveying in 1873. One reason was to confirm the existence of Mount of the Holy Cross on its west side. They continued the summer with mapping a part of the Flattops lakes.

Leadville Boom (<Hagerman Pass|Chalk Creek Pass>): Tennessee Pass today is a major route between the I70 corridor and Leadville. However the pass came into usage when Leadville was the economic center of the state in the early 1880s, and the area south of the pass was frontier country. The pass served as connection to Leadville. There was no road over what is now Vail Pass to the rest of the world. Overflow miners looking for greener mining pastures crossed Tennessee pass from Leadville and founded Redcliff, Gold Park, Holy Cross City and other early developments.

Railroads (<Fremont Pass|Poncha Pass>): When the DRG (Denver Rio Grande railroad) had finished its tracks into Leadville in July 1880, it did not rest on its profits. Rather it began work on servicing mining camps around Leadville. Tracks over Fremont Pass had serviced Kokomo and Robinson. Tracks over Tennessee Pass serviced Redcliff on the Eagle River.

In 1890, the DRG, now under new management, decided to relocate its main line between Denver and Salt Lake City. Before narrow gauge engine chugged their way down to Pueblo, up the Arkansas to Salida, over Marshall Pass to Gunnison, onward to Grand Junction and Utah. Now  they still would travel to the Arkansas valley by the same ludicrous, bow shaped southern detour. But from Leadville they crossed Tennessee Pass and then continued towards Glenwood Canyon to Grand Junction. On that occasion, the line over the pass was also converted to regular gauge and the tunnels were constructed. 

Tennessee Pass deserves a special place in railroad history. It was the highest railroad pass in the US, and it was the last Colorado railroad pass to be shut down. During the last decade the DRG became part of the Southern Pacific, finally swallowed by the historical foe of them all, the Union Pacific. That railroad finally abandoned the line. The line would make a great dedicated bicycle trail, made even greater by its connection to the Vail Pass trail.

Modern Highways (<Trout Creek Pass|Berthoud Pass): In 1913  Tennessee Pass became part of the second designated cross country automobile route. In the east travelers had an atlas of roads to choose from. In the west choices were more limited. The "National Old Trails Road" reached Colorado Springs over Raton Pass then continued over Ute Pass, Wilkerson Pass, Trout Creek Pass, Tennesee  Pass onwards to Grand Junction, Utah and Los Angeles.