Wolf Creek Pass

This article is about a mountain pass in Colorado. For the C.W. McCall song and album named for the Colorado pass, see Wolf Creek Pass (album). For the pass in Utah with the same name, see Utah State Route 35.
Wolf Creek Pass
Wolf Creek Pass and Ski Area, August 2008
Elevation10,857 ft (3,309 m)[1]
Traversed by US 160
LocationMineral County, Colorado, United States
RangeSan Juan Mountains
Coordinates37°29′00″N 106°48′11″W / 37.48333°N 106.80306°W / 37.48333; -106.80306[1]
Topo mapUSGS Wolf Creek Pass
Wolf Creek Pass is located in Colorado
Wolf Creek Pass
Wolf Creek Pass
Location in Colorado

Wolf Creek Pass is a high mountain pass on the Continental Divide, in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. It is the route through which U.S. Highway 160 passes from the San Luis Valley into southwest Colorado on its way to New Mexico and Arizona. The pass is notable as inspiration of a C. W. McCall song. The pass is significantly steep on either side (6.8% maximum grade) and can be dangerous in winter. There are two runaway truck ramps on the westbound side for truckers that lose control of their brakes.[2][3]

  1. ^ a b "B 162". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce.
  2. ^ "CDOT Warns Truckers: BEWARE THE WOLF" (Press release). Colorado Department of Transportation Region 5. 2017-06-15.
  3. ^ "A Beer Truck Had To Take A CO Runaway Ramp". 94.3 X. 2017-07-17. Archived from the original on 2017-07-17.