Colorado
Black Bear Pass
About this off-road route
Black Bear is the shelf road that hangs above Telluride in every photograph of the town, and the section below the summit is legally one-way downhill. The reason is simple: the switchbacks are too tight to turn a full-size vehicle in a single move, and there is no room for two vehicles to pass. Above the pass the route is a straightforward high alpine climb off US 550. Below it, the road becomes a series of blind, off-camber steps cut into the cliff face directly above Bridal Veil Falls.
One-way and downhill only, from Red Mountain Pass over the top and down the Telluride switchbacks past Bridal Veil Falls.
Highlights
What earns the trip
- The most famous switchbacks in Colorado, directly above Telluride
- Passes the top of Bridal Veil Falls, the tallest free-falling waterfall in the state
- Views straight down into the box canyon the town sits in
- A genuinely committing drive that stays legal and marked the whole way
Stops
- 1
Red Mountain Pass
The turnoff from US 550, where the climb begins.
- 2
Black Bear Pass summit
The saddle at roughly 12,800 feet. One-way travel starts here.
- 3
Bridal Veil Falls
The road passes the powerhouse at the lip of the falls.
- 4
Telluride
The switchbacks end on the valley floor in town.
When to go
Best time to go
Usually opens in July once the cornices melt out and closes with the first serious snow.
Planner estimate for the mapped line: 47 min
Before you go
Know before you go
- The section from the summit down to Telluride is one-way. Never attempt to drive it uphill.
- Short-wheelbase, narrow vehicles only for the switchbacks. Full-size trucks do not fit.
- If you are not certain, drive to the pass and return the way you came. Turning around below the summit is not possible.
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