a Roster of Bicycling Passes

other areas: Utah Colorado Europe

A Roster of Bicycling Passes and Summits

This section contains a partial list of cycling and mountain biking passes in Rocky Mountain and Intermountain Basin states other than Utah and Colorado. For those areas, see links above. No claim is made that these are the "most suitable" passes for a bicycle, in some cases just the opposite. See individual descriptions. However it is possible to cross all these routes with a bicycle. Paved and other surfaces are included. Tables are sorted by highest elevation first. Summits that are not sourced to another publication or map are marked with a (u) behind the designation, indicating that they are unnamed and "unofficial" summits.

Alberta (Canada)

Montana (US)

New Mexico (US)

Wyoming (US)

Alberta (Canada)

- PAVED - Highwood Pass (2227m) Kananaskis Trail (which is really a road) between Highwood Jct and Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.

- PAVED - Bow Pass (2068m) southern part of Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Saskatchewan Crossing

- PAVED - Sunwapta Pass (2027m)northern part of Icefields Parkway between Saskatchewan Crossing and Jasper

- PAVED - Yellowhead Pass (1130m) low Rockies pass on the Yellowhead Highway to BC with an interesting history.

Montana (US)

- PAVED - Beartooth Pass (10940ft) see Wyoming table

- PAVED - Colter Pass (8066ft) - road through Absaroka mtns between Beartooth Pass (Wy) and Cooke City

- PAVED - Logan Pass (6680ft) - more popularly known as "going to the sun road"; probably America's most esteemed cycle touring pass. In spite of this, cyclists are heavily restricted during what time of day they can cross.

- MTB - Whitefish Divide (apr5600ft) northernmost pass on the Great Divide Bicycle Trail. From West: Eureka (2577ft). From East: Trail Creek (3800ft).

New Mexico (US)

The Sangre de Cristo mountains of northern New Mexico have several paved passes and a wealth of MTB summits, some of which are as hard to find as they are ancient, dating back to spanish colonial or pueblo native times.

- MTB - Cabresto Canyon -Valle Vidal divide(u) (high point: apr 11100ft): combination of dirt roads, fence line trails and abandoned lumber roads east of Questa (7500ft) and Costilla.

- MTB - FR437 summit: Talpa -Valle Escondido(u) (top: apr. 10000ft). Sangre de Cristo dirt road between Talpa (Taos area) and "valle escondido" development..

- MTB - Lagunita Saddle (high point: apr 10600ft, saddle height apr 10400ft) Sangre de Cristo gravel/ jeep route between Questa and Red River or on the way to Valle Vidal.

- MTB - Quintana Pass (high point: apr 10300ft, pass height: 9750ft) Sangre de Cristo Range; part of South Boundary single track trail between Taos area and Angelfire.

- MTB - Costilla Pass (top: apr 10200ft) abandoned forest roads through scenic Valle Vidal to a forested pass with any number of confusing approaches (east of Costilla); Sangre de Cristo Range.

- MTB - Chosa Pass (high point along route: apr 9900ft, pass altitude apr. 9600ft) dirt road in Taos/ Angelfire area.

- MTB - Red River Pass (top: 9854ft): Sangre de Cristo range; dirt road between Red River and Eagles Nest area;

- PAVED - Bobcat Pass (top: 9820ft): paved NM 38 between Eagles Nest (8311ft) and Questa (7500ft); Sangre de Cristo Range..

- MTB - Osha Pass (top: apr. 9800ft): Sangre de Cristo range; double track trail near "el valle escondido" development and Angel Fire Resort.

- PAVED - Palo Flechado Pass (top: 9101ft): paved US64 between Taos (apr 6950ft) and Eagles Nest (8311ft). Marketed to tourists under the name "enchanted circle route"; ancient route to Taos formerly called Taos pass.

Wyoming (US)

- PAVED - Beartooth Pass (10940ft): Beartooth Highway between Red Lodge (Mt) and Cooke City (Mt).

- PAVED - Snowy Range Pass (10800ft): paved Wy130 between Laramie and Saratoga over Medicine Bow Range.

- PAVED - Battle Lake Pass (9916ft): paved Wyo70 over forested Sierra Madre Range between Riverside/ Encampment and Dixon (6520ft). May still contain some short unpaved sections.

- PAVED - Powder River Pass (9666ft): Bighorn Range; US16 between Buffalo and Tensleep; double summit also goes over Muikress Pass (9500ft). Canyon and badlands on Tensleep side; has been part of RAW, the Ride Across Wyoming.

- MTB - Union Pass (9210ft): long dirt road between US26 near Du Noir (Dubois area), and Wy352 about 25 miles north of Pinedale; runs north-south west of Wind River Range. Crossed by Hunt's Astorians in 1811 and was the cause of much confusion for its compilcated drainages during fur trapper days.

- PAVED - Foxpark Divide (9142ft): Wy230 crosses foothills of Mecine Bow mountains between Wood's Landing and Walden (Co).

- PAVED - Granite Pass (8950ft): Bighorn Range; US14 between Shell and Ranchester; has been part of RAW, the Ride Across Wyoming.

- MTB - Cheyenne Pass (8591ft): Laramie Hills; partially paved Happy Jack Road between Cheyenne and Sherman Hill Summit. From there Telephone Canyon decends into Laramie.

- PAVED - Craig Pass (8260ft): geographicall muddled CD crossing in Yellowstone National Park. By appearance indistinguisable from other points along the road. The pass is remarkable for its confusing geography. The road crosses from Atlantic to Pacific watersheds while going west to east.

- MTB - Sherman Hill Summit (8235ft): Laramie Hills; I80 crosses 1 mile northwest of old historic summit. The historic summit can be reached by a 1 mile dirtroad detour. This was the highest point on the Union Pacific section of the first transcontinental railroad.

- MTB - Antelope Pass (8050ft): Laramie Hills; dirt road between Tie Siding and I80. Road follows UP railroad between Hermosa and Dale Creek. This road also crosses the old historical Shermann Hill Summit. In these shallow sage hills wind is often the primary challenge.

- PAVED - Dead Indian Pass (8048ft): Chief Joseph Highway over Absaroka Mtns between Cody area and Cooke City (Mt).

- PAVED - Cache La Poudre Pass (apr. 8000ft): historical name for US285 between Laramie (7200ft) and Fort Colllins (Co), rolling Front Range foothills. Summit is just south of Tie Siding.

- PAVED - Salt River Pass (7616ft): low pass between Montpelier, Idaho and Smoot, Star Valley Wyoming.

- PAVED - Morton Pass (apr.7300ft): Laramie Hills, between Bosler (apr. 7000ft) and Wheatland (apr. 5000ft), 65 miles. Barely discenible grade on Bolser (west) side, and windswept inclined plains instead of mountains; also called Sybille Pass in Spraque's book "The Great Gates".

- MTB - Birdseye Pass (6993ft): dirt road/ double track trail over Owl Creek Mtns between Boysen Reservoir (4890ft) and Thermopolis (4085ft).