Molas Pass, Road mountain pass in San Juan County, United States.
Molas Pass is a mountain pass on U.S. Highway 550 in the San Juan Mountains of western Colorado, close to Silverton. It sits at around 10,900 feet (3,320 m) and runs through the San Juan National Forest, connecting historic mining towns along a well-traveled route.
The pass forms part of the Million Dollar Highway, a route carved through mining country in the early 1900s to link Silverton and Durango. Opening this road changed how goods and people moved through an otherwise hard-to-reach corner of the Rocky Mountains.
The pass is the setting for the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, a race where cyclists go head to head against a historic steam train running from Durango to Silverton. Spectators gather along the road to watch this unusual contest between human effort and an old locomotive play out on the mountain.
The road is open year-round, but winter tires or snow chains are a good idea from October through April. Checking road conditions before you set off is always worth doing, particularly after heavy snow or during unsettled weather.
Just beside the pass lies Little Molas Lake, a small mountain lake where visitors can fish or take out a non-motorized boat. It sits close enough to the road that you can reach it on foot from a nearby parking area without any long walk.
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