Webster Pass

We did the pass in the snow. It was beautiful but the narrows were terrifying with snow you have to push through. I do not recommend it when there is big snow drifts on the narrows. Other than that we really enjoyed the trail.

Awesome Trail with a little bit of everything. Big alpine, woods, shelf road, water crossings. Trail was in great shape. Some of the river crossing were iced over in the morning but easily broken through. No snow up top on the summit. Open all the way through.

Great way to make an off road connection from 285 to I-70 with the option to take advantage of some isolated camp spots along the way, very few were occupied. Even Handcart CG at the South TH was empty. On a peak fall Friday, we only encounterd 1 ATV on the South slope and 3 Landcruisers on the North slope. Had the top to ourselves, beautiful views, North and South. Trail begining from the South at Handcart Campground starts off densly wooded, then opens up prior to the switchbacks. The Narrows has one spot where knuckles get white, and the wider your vehicle the whiter your knuckles. Would not attempt in a Raptor or simular width vehicle. The North side is an easy desent, beautiful valley on into Montezuma which is a culture all to its own. Fall color is best on the South side with the greater number of aspens.

Ran Webster this morning after camping nearby and didn’t run into anybody until after the summit (I ran it from the south to the north so I was going up the narrow portions). The entire trail is in great shape and the views are fantastic. I’ve now done Webster in both directions and I think going north to south is better (aside from having to back up the narrows should you have to - that would suck).

This time of year none of the water crossings were an issue at all. I agree it's best if you can send someone ahead down the narrows so you won't have to back up. If you do, this trail is a solid 3.

Ran this from Montezuma to the summit and back. Is is easy except for the water crossing-which was not bad in August. I have run the other side a couple of years ago. I’d say this trail is really a 3 (the 4 may apply in early season). Absolutely beautiful drive. We saw 2 moose that were the biggest we had ever seen.

Did Webster on the way back from Red Cone and it was beautiful as always. The storm passing through dropped hail and heavy rain on us, but it looked amazing.

For the last few summers I’ve ran this trail multiple times a month as I live close by. I drive an 06 sequoia (full size suv) and normally I don’t have any problems on the narrows. Today my edge side tires barely cleared the edge at the main obstacle and triggered small rock cascades. I was truly concerned and opted to not return toward the 285 where home is but instead ran the trail all the way through to keystone to avoid a second pass on the narrows. Scout ahead before running this in a full size right now…. It is more washed out than usual.

Nothing spectacular but a nice scenic trail that takes you to or from some other amazing trails! The narrows section is definitely narrow but the rest of the trail is a walk in the park.

Easy trail with killer views. The shelf road on the south side is narrow in spots but I never felt nervous. Very fun trail to spend a day on and link with Red Cone if your vehicle can handle it.

Trail was wet below treeline, dry above. Gorgeous views of the surrounding peaks and valleys when atop the pass. The narrows section is no joke, the drivers full attention is needed here. The water crossing at WP6 was about a foot deep. Awesome trail that showcases various aspects of the high country.

Open as of today. Large group of people dug it out. Trail is in great condition both sides ..

Still closed due to snow drift after the Summit.

Happy to report the seasonal gate on the Dillon Side is now open. The snow cornice at the top is still huge as always, so you cannot yet connect the two sides.

My girlfriend and I went up Handcart gulch to see how far we could get. She ran slaughterhouse gulch then we went to handcart. We got up to 11,200 feet right before the switchbacks. The lifted F-150 on 35s got though the snow well aired down to 14 psi. The snow got deep and there where areas of solid water ice up higher. At 11,200 feet the snow was 2 feet deep and we did not want to winch out as we did that last week on another trail. The upper shelf road is a wrap till 2022 It's drifted in deep with windloaded snow. It's so beautiful up there in the winter!! We hiked the bottom of red cone and explored the creek and mines up there.

Reports of snow at high elevations and folks going off trail to avoid drifts. While this trail may be passable by experienced groups in very capable rigs, we feel it safer to designate the trails as *IMPASSABLE* at this point.

Trail is still easily passable. There was no snow on it today.

Thanks to Ryan's report, I decided to do Webster Pass instead of Saints John and this trail was pretty amazing. I love shelf roads, miles-long views, and a little rock under the tires and this trail checks all those boxes and then some. There was no snow on the trail itself when I was there, only on the sides of the trail. Since it was a Monday, I ran into a total of 7 vehicles, all in passing. The leaves are starting to really drop and there were only a few places along the trail that were still really golden. I will say that the county trail feeder into this area (Handcart) had lots of leaves on it that were still gold, but the sun had set by the time I was leaving the area and couldn't get any great pictures.

First snow of the season has fallen! Several inches came down Friday night, but the road was still passable. Lots of traffic all day. I came down Red Cone and then traversed the southern side to just below treeline to join a work project crew in the area doing fence repair. With the warm weather expected, this trail should dry out completely and I wouldn't expect it to be closed to travel until we get either one big snow or 2 back to back snows. Be cautious! It is not the snow itself that will make the trail dangerous, it is the ice under the snow you will not be able to see.

Started on the Montezuma side and finished on the Grant side. The entire trail was dry and clear with a few small stream crossings. The only sketchy point is the shelf part of the trail. Thankfully, I didn't meet any other vehicles except for a few trail bikes. The trail is pretty straightforward with no real technical sections.

Enjoyed this trail, not as difficult as Red Cone or Radical but a fun little run through the valleys.

Dreary day. The skies are terribly smokey. The snow cornice still exists, but with little nerve and LOT of CAUTION, narrower rigs can squeeze through. PLEASE be careful here! Full-size trucks WILL NOT fit. (Then again, full-size trucks are not recommended for the Narrows anyway.) Note: The Tacoma is about the same width as a stock Jeep JK or JL.

The final section of snow blocking the pass was shoveled open by users on Sunday, 7/11/21. Open to everything now including Jeeps.

Still blocked by snow up at the very top. Looks like it won't be passable for another couple weeks.

After Red Cone, came down the north side. The big snow cornice at the summit has a LONG way to go before the trail will be open through. The water crossing was not bad at all for this time of year.

Made it right to 12k feel elevation (from the South approach via Hall Valley), before steep off-camber snow blocked the road. The pass itself looks to have around 2 stories of snow on it still, will be weeks before you can cross it if I had my guess. Some of the road washout areas along the final rocky cliff-side approach are getting worse, I was in a 60" width RZR and tires were very close to the edge. Definitely no longer passable for anything resembling full sized. We were the first ones breaking through one of the last snow banks on the road, so first 4-wheeled vehicle to get that far this season. No one else up there all day.

The South Platte side of the pass (Highway 285 side) is not seasonally closed and open for travel. Tried the trail with 3 rigs on 40s. Made it 2.6 miles back. Constant snow starting at the Handcart Campground, with sections of deep, crusty snow along the way. If you do not know where the trail is due to snow, or you cannot make it through a snow drift, please do not make your own route. Stay on the designated trail and if you cannot make it, turn around and try another day.

Little late posting, but ran it on a sled on 21MAR21 up the Handcart Side all the way the radioactive mine. Very inconsistent snow pack, and with the snow hitting this week it's going to be awhile till safely passable for wheeled vehicles. More recent review suggests the snow berm has been removed to allow truck access again. May still be viable for snowmobiling for a few more weeks, but it's pretty rough between exposed rock, off camber drifts, and ice.

Did some night wheeling Friday November 6. For the most part the trail was perfect, the only issues I ran in to were the first water crossing at waypoint 6 had a pretty big chunk of ice that hit the skid plate, and on the switchbacks going up the northern side, the snow wasn't deep, but it was icy and the slippage was a little unsettling, but not impassable. Coming down the southern switchbacks, there was a small patch of icy snow right as you start the descent on the passenger side, but the driver side was still on a good traction surface so I had no issues going down.

Drove it from Montezuma up to Webster Pass, but did not continue past the pass. Completed in a 2019 Honda Passport with 30" AT tires, and at the time, no skid plates. I now have skid plates, and this trail was why. To be fair, I think I could have picked a couple of better lines to avoid the couple of whacks and scrapes on the underbody. In October the water crossing was easy and mellow. The toughest section for me was the rocky section immediately after the water crossing.

I have run this trail multiple times. It never disappoints. It’s easy in a modified Cherokee but the narrow shelf road keeps it fun

Did this from South to North on a lifted Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road (MT). Pretty straight forward with no hard obstacles and beautiful weather. Only sketchy part was waypoint 11, would not recommend to attempt this on a full size truck. Also people remember that uphill traffic has right of way.

Great day on the trails! Man, the forest is SO dry! Please don't do anything stupid and burn down our playground. Please.

Did this backwards from 285 on a Saturday, saw some traffic but no issues that a bit of backing couldn't solve. Stock 4th Gen 4Runner with no issues with proper tire placement. The switchbacks are sheer and tight in some spots but as long as you aren't in a full-size truck there is still a bit of wiggle room.

Amazing views entering the basin from the Montezuma side. Once we entered the basin area the road forks, take the trail to the right through the creek. As you continue, you'll come across another fork, continue left on your way up to the pass. We hit it a few days after it snowed so it was a little slick in spots but made it all the more beautiful. We exited the 285 side after hitting Red Cone.

This is a must do trail! I had driven up Redcone to Webster Pass then down into Montezuma. Very beautiful country.

Fun in either direction. Can be very crowed.

Nice, mild trail with only one section I would call moderate (everything else was easy). Once you get to the top of the pass and start heading down is when most people said it gets narrow but it’s really not bad at all. However, about 5-10 minutes after this “narrow” part is a much more narrow section with nothing but treachery to the left. I ran it north to south and had a great time. Plus, seeing Red Cone was cool, too!

trail has been fully open for awhile

We ran Webster pass from North to South. Conditions were good in the morning and then it rained very heavy in the afternoon. This trail is relatively easy so the major rain didn't really affect the difficulty. Once we got to the summit, we realized right around the corner from the shelf road there is a snow drift blocking the road. It was only wide enough to fit a small quad. No way a vehicle or side by side would make it through. Someone tried to dig it out with a shovel, but it's almost solid ice. Unless the weather warms up quite a bit in the next week, I can see this still being blocked for another month.

I was in the area today and another driver reported that Webster Pass is still impassible due to the lingering snow drift at the top. Be careful if you have to leave a trailer on the Highway 285 side and then drive red cone expecting to use Webster to return. You won’t be able to make it back.

The gate on the Montezuma side (north side) is now open for the season. Be prepared for an avalanche field not far after the creek crossing (wp6) that has some deep, soft snow, for about 50 yards. Our group came over Red Cone and exited Webster in this direction. With the tracks we put on the avalanche field today, it will probably be melted out in a week. Note that the snow cornice at the top of Webster (wp9) is still huge and you cannot drive down into Hall Valley yet.

Came in from Zuma (North End). Gate is still closed. Drove up Deer Creek road instead. Got above tree line till about the second switchback and had to turn around due to snow.

Summit County gate is still closed.

Drove up from the S End. Got a little further than the 6/1 post, but a snow field blocked right near waypoint 11. Looked like a SxS cut an illegal line to shortcut the trail.

the north end is still seasonally closed, but the southern end is open a little ways. Made it 2.8 miles from the red cone trailhead right where the trail drop down in the creek at the tailings pile. Deep snow covering the trail there makes it impossible to go any farther.

Ran this trail from Montezuma to CR Road 60 It was a great trail , the East side was more Interesting along the narrows side.

I drove Webster Pass from the summit/intersection with Red Cone down to the southeastern side (highway 285 between Grant and Jefferson). The road is in good condition, and water levels and velocity are at end-of-season lows. My group camped at Handcart Campground, which is a nice place to camp this time of year (no one else around). Site fees have increased to $22, and $7 for each additional vehicle per site. Sites are large enough for three vehicles with rooftop tents, making it pretty economical, though I do prefer to "primitive" camp in authorized dispersed locations when alone or in smaller groups.

The trail is clear almost for the entirety. There is a small snow bank at the top of Webster Pass that makes the start (or end) of the narrow section a bit more "narrow." The creek crossing on the Montezuma side is still a bit deep, but I think it is passable, even for stock vehicles. I only drove to the top of Webster Pass from the Montezuma side, but it was a beautiful evening drive and very quiet.

One of my favorite drives! Awesome weather today and the road was in good condition. Narrow as always! I don't know how full size vehicles do this pass (the Forest Service sign recommends not taking your full size vehicle on it btw), but the road felt pretty narrow to me in areas and my ride is only 50" wide. If you have the skills and the guts to do it, the views will not disappoint.

Gate is open and we made it through. Still snow at the very top. Extremely narrow where the snow is, but we got 5 full size vehicles over the pass.

Trint, it was nice to finally meet you up on Radical Hill today. Hopefully the remaining snow will melt so we can salvage the summer before the snow starts flying again. Be safe out there!

The USFS gate on the north side is closed and locked. From the top of Radical Hill we saw a lone dirt bike going up the switchbacks on the north side of Webster. Unless he was a USFS Ranger, he rode around the gate. PLEASE don't be "that guy." I flew my drone from the top of Radical Hill over to the summit of Webster. The snow cornice nearly clear, but not quite.

Tried to run the trail today. Seasonal gate at way point was locked.

My plan was to go up Red Cone, through Radical Hill, and then follow whichever way I felt after going through them, but unfortunately Red Cone is still closed. I decided to take Webster Pass, which is still a good trail, until the shelf road became to one narrow. Great fun trail with beautiful views. I think a stock rubicon could handle it.

Came up from CR 60. Made it just beyond Waypoint 10. There were remnants of a small slide just past the first switchback. Still had a couple feet of snow at this slide and some trees leaning over the trail at a very narrow spot.

Started Webster Pass from the Country Road 60 side. Went from Waypoint 16 to waypoint 12. There were a few downed trees blocking the way from an avalanche but have been cleared. A few small drifts left on the trail, keep you momentum up and you will be fine. After waypoint 12, getting into the start of the switchbacks the drifts pick back up, most 4-5ft +. I tried to get through one and almost slid off the shelf, then backed my way down. At the top of Webster Pass my group estimated at least 20ft drifts up there. Most likely 30ft as well. Will be interesting to see if it even melts this year. Overview: Webster is open to the switch backs Red Cone's gate is closed

Still closed at the gate. Snow is melting fast so hopefully open soon.

Started on the 285/Hall Valley Road side near Jefferson but only made it a few miles up the trail. Trail is blocked by several avalanches. I don't foresee it being passable for quite some time - huge banks of snow blocking the road along with a good amount of timber from the avalanche slides.

LOTS OF SNOW! The east side of the pass on the South Platte Ranger District side is not seasonally closed and is open for travel. The road is wet and muddy up to the trailer parking lot. Just passed the campground, Hall Valley has snow on it. With a few dirt clearings the snow becomes constant right away at the Red Cone trailhead. It is extremely deep but we made it 1.5 miles before calling it a night on rigs all with 37s. Cleared a few small downed trees, but didn't make it far enough to see what might have happened this winter at the avalanche chute.

Trail was drivable up to about half a mile past Radical Hill, 2-3 feet of packed snow/ice was accumulated on the trail and was impassable.

Gorgeous sunny day. Snow pack started almost right after turning off of Montezuma road. Muddy in spots. Icy in spots. Ice crust at the water crossing. Since I was riding solo, I decided to turn back about a 1/4 mile passed Radical when I started slipping and sliding. From what I could see the summit looked to have minimal snow. P.S. The new USFS signage on Montezuma Road is AWESOME!!

Coming from the south by way of 285, we used CR 60, in Grant, to access the forest. This was a great trail! Rig is a stock 1999 TJ on modest 30" all-terrain tires (all 4 kicks are new). Made it to the top of the pass using Handcart Gulch (FS 121). Sign at the intersection of Hand Cart Gulch and Red Cone says the trails are for experienced drivers only. Chunky rocky road makes for slow going in a few places. Very interesting scenery, much different than Georgia Pass and Boreas Pass. The area has been adversely impacted by mine run off and activity over the years in several areas and has a distinct moon-scape feel to it in places. Water is obviously very tainted by mine run off, do not allow animals to drink this. We posted up at the base of Webster Pass and waited for a few groups to come down. This was a very solid suggestion from a patrol that had just come down from the top. Sign at the bottom of Webster Pass warns that full-sized vehicles should not attempt to ascend Webster Pass. Word of caution - visibility once on the road is limited and there is no place to really turn around if you lose your nerve, or to allow for passing vehicles until you hit the top. When the trail guides all say its a narrow shelf road to the top of Webster Pass, they mean it. Near the middle of the ascent there is a long section of solid living rock wall on one side and a drop on the other. Very sobering, but not the scariest thing I've been on, in this area. Be on point, none the less, on the ascent up to the top. Spectacular view at the top with a nice view of Red Cone and Radical Hill, easy, but bumpy trip down the back side of the pass into Montezuma (FS 285) to finish out the trail. 1-70 back into Denver. I would not have done this trail as a novice driver. That being said, Webster Pass is a very worthy adventure. If you've got a few moderate trails under your belt and are confident in your skills and your rig, this trail is lots of fun, interesting and challenging, but very navigable terrain for a stock 4x4. Keep the rubber to the road, roll safe. ~Rob J.

The snow drift is fully melted now so the trail is accessible all the way through. We came from the southern side and the trail head had a sign saying that it was closed seasonally. Ignore this if you come from the south, it's clearly been forgotten about. This is probably my favorite trail I've done yet. I run a stock 2008 4runner limited and it did just fine. There are some large rocks but with a bit of creativity you can easily get over them. There is a mud pit, likely from the recent rains, about a quarter way up the trail on the south side. It's big enough to get stuck but we didn't have issues with it. Views are incredible, the narrows are harrowing, and the there was a fair amount of wild life on the trail (moose, deer, rodents). 5/5

The snow cornice is not yet melted out. Dirt bikes have made a path through and probably within a week ATVs will get through. With a bit of shoveling, they could start getting through now. I expect another 2-3 weeks before full size vehicles can get through.

Point 9 still impassable as of 7/1/18. Fun trail, we took it from the south end and went up the narrows until we couldn't go further due to snow drift. Pretty easy trail from waypoint 16 - 9 (since we did it in reverse of how it's listed here, coming from 285). There are a few spots to turn around on the narrows - but it'd be tight if you ran into oncoming traffic. Some beautiful views. While on the trail, did see a few Jeeps bogging through the creek (off trail), and some shattered glass bottles at one of the camp sites. Keep that up and you get trails closed down for yourself and the rest of us. Tread lightly and leave places better than you found them.

As of 6/24/18 there is still snow blocking the trail at point 9. This is a problem for ATVs UTVs or dirt bikes without plates wanting to start from the 285 side trail head as you can't complete the Red cone / Webster pass loop. The only option is to return the wrong way (illegally) on the one way Red Cone trail.

The gate on the north end has been opened and the trail is mostly snow free to the summit. Just beyond the creek crossing there are a couple remaining snow drifts that shouldn't be an issue for any modified rig. Those should be melted out soon. The south side is still impassable at the very top due to the snow cornice. Going to be several weeks, if not a month before it is melted out. Up to that point, the trail is clear. The washouts just after the first switchback is very narrow. Itncould present a challenge for wide rigs. There is substantial resource damage to the sides of the trail due to illegally driving off trail. Please stay on the trail and do not attempt to drive off reaching mud bogs.

The seasonal gate on the north side is locked. The south side has no gate. Snow wheeling is possible, but use caution and don't go alone.

Summit County has had a couple of snow storms now. Most trails that go above treeline are blocked with snow. The image is a drone shot taken a couple hundred feet above the water crossing at waypoint 6. I didn't go up, but there is a decent amount of snow on the switchbacks and the summit. The descent from Red Cone is also snow covered.

Trail was open and clear. Description current. We ran from the southern end north. Only unexpected "obstacle" was a dog in the road chasing vehicles (s/he was with some nearby campers but apparently decided road-guard duty was more fun). :0)

That last snow drift has melted significantly, while I took Red Cone to Radical Hill, a Jeep or Tacoma could fit through the drift.

I drove up the south side of Webster today, from 285. You can tell they've been getting a ton of rain up there. The trail is wet, muddy in a couple of places, and the stream is running high. Just below the switchbacks (between WPs 11 and 12), I met a group from Mile High Jeep Club finishing up a fence project. They said the cornice was still blocking the last 50 feet or so and that the cornice snow is very hard packed and icy. From where we stood, we could see people walking out onto the cornice. It may yet clear, but in my experience, when snow hangs on this long, it becomes like a block of ice; impossible to dig, dangerously slippery, and VERY slow to melt. My advice: Do Red Cone, head down to Montezuma and then come back over Georgia Pass. Or just enjoy the rest of Summit County's many trails! P.S. We finished the day by going down to Jefferson for a Train Wreck Burger at the Hungry Moose Caboose! Highly recommended!! (See pics!)

Totally under snow drift at top still

Mile High Jeep Club did a work day in partnership with the Forest Service clearing snow to open the trail. As of this date, the trail is open from Montezuma to the summit from the north, but a very large snow cornice blocks the trail south of the summit. Some large snow drifts remain, but the work done this weekend will help them melt quickly. The water crossing at WP 6 is very deep, but still passable if you take your time and push a good bow wave.

The northern end of Webster pass remains closed. Another foot of snow was added last week. Snow has been plowed into the trail at the last private drive (waypoint 2). There is 4-6 feet of rock hard plow snow blocking the trail. I have not visited the southern trail head yet.

Decided to take a night run with a few guys to check out some new lights on the LJ. We drove up the south side of Webster Pass and made it in a little over 2 miles from the split with Red Cone. This was just past waypoint 14 and the Handcraft Gulch mine shaft. All of the rigs in our group were on 37s, with dual lockers, running single digit tire pressures so we could float on the top of the snow. Because it was night, the snow was hard so it was fairly easy to stay on top of the snow. When getting out of the Jeeps, we easily sunk in the snow to our waists. The beginning of the trail was a mix of smaller drifts and then dirt for short periods, but that only lasted about 3/4 of a mile. It then turns to solid snow. With a few weeks of warm weather, it could potentially be dry all the way to the point we made it.

Due to the unusually late onset of winter, Webster is still easily passable. The the last couple of switch backs on the north side of the summit have a couple of inches of packed snow. The deep water crossing (WP 6) was crusted with ice, but nothing to worry about. The forest service will be closing gates on November 23rd, so there's only one weekend left.

This is a great and iconic trail. Enjoy it but PLEASE stay sharp! The narrows are a thrill, but must be respected! A Jeep tumbled off the narrows this weekend. Fortunately it hung up on a tree a few yards down. If it hadn't, it's a good 300 foot slope to the bottom. Reports are that the drive and passenger walked away without a scratch. Driver is a 20 year wheeling veteran, but was in a brand new truck. I was alerted to this by some members of Colorado FJ Cruisers who say they came on the scene soon after.

I joined Mile High Jeep Club's trail clean-up run. The trail is open from Montezuma to the summit from the north. At the summit, the south side is blocked by a very large snow cornice, over 15 feet thick. It will be a couple more weeks before snow breaking is possible.

This is a fun trail that can be done with a full-sized pickup truck. I would recommend driving it in the south-to-north direction, because the south approach has long extremely narrow switchbacks with poor visibility to spot other vehicles on their way down. Meeting another vehicle head-on in this area is no fun, but typically the uphill vehicle would have the right of way. The worst portions lack enough space to pass even a small ATV for hundreds of feet, and there were some spots where the outer treads on my tires were hanging over the edge of the roadway. Whereas the "scary" driving is on the south (Handcart gulch) side of the trail, probably the biggest challenge are the two uppermost switchbacks on the Montezuma side, which are cut very deeply, with too narrow a radius to tackle in one pass. They required 4x4 for me in both directions. Also, I have never run this trail and not seen moose in Handcart gulch!

Beautiful Scenery. Fairly Easy trail in a smaller vehicle.