Spring Creek Pass — Continental Divide Trailhead

Spring Creek Pass sits on the Continental Divide between Lake City and Creede on Highway 149, and it’s one of the most accessible high-country waypoints in the San Juans. The CDT crosses right here, and the views north toward the Weminuche and south into the Rio Grande drainage are the kind that make you forget you were just bouncing down washboard. It’s a legitimate staging point — pull off, air down, and get your bearings before dropping into the backcountry.

Elevation is just shy of 11,000 feet, so early-season snowpack can linger into late June. The pass sits on the Lake City to Creede stretch of CO-149 and is paved to the saddle — no clearance required to reach it. From here you can access Rio Grande National Forest dispersed zones heading east and the Slumgullion Pass corridor to the north. Busy on summer weekends; quiet weekdays.

CDT crossing on the roof of the San Juans.