Independence Pass

	Map		Reviews

The Independence Pass corridor was probably once a summer hunting ground for primitive man in prehistoric times. In more recent times, the Ute Indian people inhabited the Roaring Fork Valley and undoubtedly roamed the Pass and surrounding peaks and valleys in the course of their seasonal travels and hunting trips. Such sites as the Ice Caves near the Grottoes recreation site may even as served as primitive refrigerators for the preservation of food. As white settlers began moving into the Colorado Mountains during the mid-1800's the Utes were gradually forced onto reservations and were finally removed from the western slope in the 1880's after the Meeker Massacre. Independence Pass shelters the headwaters of the Roaring Fork River. The river originates as a tiny rivulet draining Independence Lake at an elevation of over 11,000 feet. During its 60-mile journey from the Pass to its confluence with the Colorado River, the River will grow to be 1,000 times the size of this original trickle as it is fed by its major tributaries, the Fryingpan and the Crystal Rivers. The river is one of the most unspoiled in Colorado.  [Other Resource]

Location & Map

Back to Top

Write a Review

Be the first to for Independence Pass

"No spam, no mailing lists! Personally identifiable information is never sold, shared or leased to any other parties"

Back to Top

Back to Top