Hoosier Pass, Mountain pass on Continental Divide in Colorado, United States.
Hoosier Pass is a mountain pass on the Continental Divide in central Colorado, at 11,542 feet (3,518 m), in a gap between Mount Lincoln to the west and Hoosier Ridge to the east. It sits on the boundary between Park County to the south and Summit County to the north, and State Highway 9 crosses it between Fairplay and Breckenridge.
Native American tribes used this route for trade and travel long before European settlers arrived in the region. The Fremont Expedition made the first recorded crossing in 1844, opening the path to later migration into the Rockies.
The name comes from Hoosier Gulch, worked by miners from Indiana, the "Hoosier State". The pass lies between Mount Lincoln and Hoosier Ridge, on the Park and Summit county line. A second Hoosier Pass, at 10,313 feet, stands in Teller County near Cripple Creek.
The pass is open year-round along State Highway 9, but snow and ice can make driving difficult in winter months. Checking road conditions before setting out is a good habit, as traction rules may apply during colder periods.
Hoosier Pass is the highest point on the TransAmerica Trail, a transcontinental bicycle route running from Yorktown, Virginia, to Astoria, Oregon. Cyclists crossing the country east to west climb to 11,542 feet here, between Mount Lincoln and Hoosier Ridge.
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