Independence Pass, Colorado

Highway 82 climbs up to Independence Pass, which at 12,095 feet, is the second highest paved crossing of the Continental Divide. The pass is a busy seasonal road crossing of the Divide, linking Leadville and Aspen, and is active with biking and tourists. In 1882, a toll road was built over the pass, though traffic dropped off when the railroads got to Aspen a few years later. In the 1920s, the state of Colorado started maintaining the road as State Highway 82. The modern highway is closed for half the year because of snow, though as an old toll road it was kept open year-round. The ruins of the old mining town of Independence and other historic sites and overlooks along the road are maintained by the Aspen-based Independence Pass Foundation, and the volunteer group Friends of Independence Pass.