Red Mountain Pass (San Juan Mountains)
Red Mountain Pass elevation 11,018 ft (3,358 m) is a mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains of western Colorado
in the United States.
Lower gorge, Red Mountain Pass; view from HWY 550 near Ouray
Red Mountains from Ironton Park; Red Mountain Pass near the Ouray-Silverton Stage Road, c. 1901
Narrow stretch of highway over Red Mountain Pass.
The San Juan Mountains is a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and Telluride. Large scale mining has ended in the region, although independent prospectors still work claims throughout the range. The last large-scale mines were the Sunnyside Mine near Silverton, which operated until late in the 20th century, and the Idarado Mine on Red Mountain Pass, which closed in the 1970s. Famous old San Juan mines include the Camp Bird and Smuggler Union mines, both located between Telluride and Ouray.
Uncompahgre Peak
San Juans in the fall of 2008, viewed from north of Durango
Sneffels Range viewed from Ridgway, Colorado
Red Mountain Pass