Rollins Pass, Rail mountain pass in Colorado, US

Rollins Pass is a mountain pass on the Continental Divide in Colorado's Front Range, at 11,676 ft (3,559 m), where Boulder, Gilpin and Grand counties meet. Its summit carries the abandoned grade of the Denver and Salt Lake Railway, whose pine, oak and walnut ties and snowshed planking still lie along the route. A long dark brown timber trestle of square beams and diagonal bracing stands on a grassy embankment.

David Moffat's Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway built the line over Rollins Pass as a temporary route while the Moffat Tunnel was planned; it opened in 1904 and reached a 4% grade, the highest railroad ever built in North America. Snowstorms often closed it for days. The Moffat Tunnel opened in 1928, and the rails and ties were removed in 1936.

The pass carries the name of John Q.A. Rollins, whose toll wagon road crossed it and whose work was recognized when additional areas were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. In Grand County the pass is sometimes called Corona Pass after the summit station, a usage former railroaders rejected. Rail ties of pine, oak and walnut remain visible.

The route typically opens in early June as snow melts and remains accessible until late October or early November, depending on the first winter storms. Hikers should start early in the morning, as afternoon thunderstorms are common at this elevation and the exposed location offers little shelter.

Archaeological discoveries along the pass reveal an ancient game drive system used by Paleoindian hunters more than 10,000 years ago during seasonal migrations. These stone structures helped funnel wildlife into specific areas where they could be hunted more easily.