Ride Profile

Ride Description

A Colorado Classic!  Buena Vista, CO (7,954 feet) to Cottonwood Pass (12,126 feet) and back via Chaffe County Road 306. Over 4,000 feet of climbing to one of Colorado’s highest paved alpine passes and roads in N. America. Road is in very good shape with a small shoulder.  As with any ride that reaches into the fickle and unreliable conditions of the Colorado high country, extra clothes and food are a must.  Ride starts and ends in Buena Vista and climbs from the lower slopes of the Sawatch Range following Cottonwood Creek through montane and subalpine forest to its headwaters well above treeline.  This is a seasonal ride.  The road is open to motorized vehicles during the summer months only. 

Start Location and Parking

Downtown Buena Vista Colorado.

Ride Directions

Head west on Chaffe County Road 306 for 19.5 miles till the end of pavement at Cottonwood Pass.  Retun the same direction.

Food, Coffee and Juice Joints close to Start/Finish

Lots of choices in town, from fast food to excellent local eateries.  Bongo Billys Coffee south on US Highway 24 is a good stop for bakery goods and coffee/tea.

Food, Water, & Bathrooms along route

There are few services along this route.  A number of Forest Service trailheads offer seasonal toilets.  The route passes The Cottonwood Hot Springs lodge early in the ride, 4 miles from Buena Vista.

Recommended Bike Shops (name, phone, website)

The Trail Head, Buena Vista, CO, North US Highway 24.