DENVER (KDVR) — Coloradans will be busy hitting the roads to the high country for Memorial Day weekend, but which roads will be clear of snow?
Here are six major mountain roads that crews are working to clear by Friday, May 27 ahead of holiday traffic.
Cottonwood Pass
Cottonwood Pass spans Chaffee and Gunnison Counties. Chaffee County Road and Bridge announced the pass will be open by Friday, May 27, and will work with Gunnison County Public Works to clear the roads leading up to the pass on both sides of the county line.
Guanella Pass
The popular mountain pass features scenic views of Mt. Bierstadt and Mt. Evans while it spans Clear Creek and Park counties. Right now the conditions of the pass are unknown ahead of the holiday weekend.
Guanella Pass opened early Friday morning ahead of the holiday weekend.
Independence Pass
The Colorado Department of Transportation sent out an alert Thursday morning announcing that Independence Pass is expected to open for the 2022 season, weather permitting.
“CO 82 Independence Pass is projected to open on Thursday, May 26, weather permitting,” CDOT announced.
Independence pass is located on Colorado Highway 82, midway between Aspen and Twin Lakes. The summit is 18 miles west of Twin Lakes and 19 miles east of Aspen.
Mount Evans Highway
CDOT announced Thursday that Mt. Evans highway will not be open for Memorial Day weekend due to “recent snow and wind conditions.”
Update: Mount Evans opened on June 10.
Pikes Peak Memorial Highway
The City of Colorado Springs maintains the road and new reservation system to get to the top of Pikes Peak. As of Monday, the first 13 miles of the 19-mile road are open. The final six miles beyond the Glen Cove visitor’s center are closed due to snowy conditions.
Visitors can call 719-385-7325 to check on conditions. Sometimes, the summit will be closed based on adverse conditions like high winds.
Reservations will be required starting May 27. To learn more about the system, check out our previous coverage on FOX31 NOW.
Trail Ridge Road
America’s highest continuous paved road opened for the season Friday, according to the National Park Service.
Trail Ridge Road spans Larimer and Grand Counties, climbing to 12,183 feet, cutting through the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park. While crews have been working hard to clear the road ahead of Memorial Day weekend, conditions may have the park shut it down once more.