Map of Guanella Pass
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The Guanella Pass Road is a designated Scenic Byway traveling north/south between I-70 in Georgetown and US 285 in the Town of Grant. This road provides outstanding opportunities for scenic driving, and year-round access to backcountry recreational opportunities. During the summer months, recreational use is particularly concentrated at Guanella Pass. There are two main parking areas at GP, including the Lower Lot with just under 50 parking spaces, and the Upper Lot with just under 60 spaces. (Map courtesy of Central Federal Lands Highway)
Guanella Pass Scenic Byway
Guanella Pass Road is a National Forest Scenic Byway located approximately 40 miles west of the Denver Metropolitan area. The Scenic Byway is 24 miles in length, passes through the ARNF and Pike National Forest (PNF), and connects Georgetown, CO, to Grant, CO, via the 11,669’ Guanella Pass (GP). The Guanella Pass Scenic Byway provides outstanding opportunities for scenic driving, and year-round access to backcountry recreational opportunities. During the summer months, recreational use is particularly concentrated at GP.
There are two main parking areas at GP, providing trailhead access to the Mount Evans Wilderness to the east and the Square Top Mountain area to the west. GP is particularly popular for its relatively easy hiking access to the summit of Mount Bierstadt, one of Colorado's 14,000+ foot peaks (i.e., 14'ers), which is located within the Mount Evans Wilderness. For this reason, the vast majority (~85%) of visitor use at GP is concentrated on the Mount Bierstadt Trail and during the early-morning to early-afternoon hours, before afternoon thunderstorms begin. Consequently, there are a number of transportation, recreation, and resource management-related issues at GP, which are described below.
Management Goals
The Guanella Pass Scenic Byway Committee in association with USFS, developed the 2001 Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway Conservation Management Strategy (CMS). The CMS identifies the following goals and objectives for GP, which will be used in this project to help evaluate potential alternative transportation strategies for GP.
| Protect the environmental resources as the primary management goal. |
| Steer recreational use away from Wilderness and sensitive tundra areas onto designated interpretive trails through design characteristics. |
| Emphasize a summit experience that highlights the value of Wilderness and the sensitivity of subalpine and alpine ecosystems. |
| Manage the number of users in the Guanella Pass summit area not to exceed carrying capacities. |
Transportation, Recreation, and Resource Management Issues
Transportation and visitor use data were collected at GP during summer 2013 as part of this project, and identified the following key issues.
| During busy summer days, severe parking shortages occur at GP. |
| Unendorsed roadside parking is widespread at GP and causes impacts to public safety and forest resources. |
| USFS does not have authority to manage or regulate unendorsed roadside parking. |
| During busy summer days, intensive crowding occurs on the trail to and summit of Mount Bierstadt. |
| Off-trail hiking is common and causes widespread resource impacts in the Mount Evans Wilderness. |
| The town of Georgetown, CO, experiences intensive recreation-related traffic volumes through its small, historic downtown. |
| There is little or no advanced traveler information about traffic and parking conditions at GP for visitors to plan their trip. |
| There is little or no advanced traveler information about traffic and parking conditions at GP for visitors to plan their trip. |
Potential Alternative Transportation Strategies
The following is an initial list of ideas about potential alternative transportation strategies that could help improve transportation, recreation, and resource management under certain circumstances and in certain combinations at GP.
| Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for parking management and permits |
| Online and social media |
| Parking management staff and enforcement (County) |
| Permit system for Mt. Bierstadt trail access |
| Short-term parking for non-hiking visitors |
| Shuttle service to Guanella Pass |
| Signs and barriers to educate public about parking |
| USFS ranger presence for wilderness trail use management |
Unendorsed roadside parking
By early morning on peak summer days at Guanella Pass, the designated parking lots fill with vehicles beyond their capacities. As these lots fill, cars park illegally (as shown in this photo) along the Guanella Pass Highway roadside creating unsafe conditions for motorists and those walking along the roadway to the trailheads at the Pass. (Photo courtesy of RSG)
Background Documents
To obtain a copy of any document listed below that is not available online, please email the project manager, Melissa Bordewin, at Melissa.Bordewin@dot.gov.
- Guanella Pass Surface Treatment Evaluation Traffic Technical Memorandum (FHWA Central Federal Lands Highway Division, 2009)
Central Federal Lands Highway Division of the Federal Highway Administration prepared this evaluation of the environmental impacts of re-surfacing Guanella Pass Road. - Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway Revised Interpretive Plan (USFS Center for Design & Interpretation, 2008)
This interpretive plan assists decision-makers facilitate the interpretation of byway resources to enhance the visitor experience as well as accomplish sustainable land management goals. - 2030 Mountains and Plains Transportation Plan (DRCOG, 2005)
- Guanella Pass Road Final Environmental Impact Statement (FHWA Central Federal Lands Highway Division, 2002)
- Guanella Pass Road Year 2025 Traffic Projections (FHWA Central Federal Lands Highway Division, 2002)
The Federal Highway Administration calculated future traffic volume projections to assist in the planning and design of roadway improvements to Guanella Pass Road. Social, environmental, and economic considerations are part of the analysis. - Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway Corridor Management Strategy (Guanella Pass Scenic Byway Committee in association with USFS, 2001)
- 1997 Revision of the Land and Resource Management Plan: Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland, a.k.a. the Forest Plan (USFS, 1997)
The Forest Plan serves as the main guidance for all resource management activities on the Forest and provides direction for each Geographic Area on the Forest. - Technical Memo 3.3. Summary of Data Findings – Guanella Pass Scenic Byway, Summer 2012 (RSG 2013)
During summer 2012, USFS conducted a field study at GP to collect transportation and visitor use data during the area's peak summer visitation period. This memo provides a summary of the data collection effort and analysis results. - Technical Memo 3.4. Summary of Data Findings – Ecological Condition Assessment Mount Evans and Guanella Pass (RSG/USU, 2013)
During summer 2012, USFS conducted a field study at GP and MERA to measure and map recreation-related resource impacts. This memo provides a summary of the field study and results. - Technical Memo 3.7. Summary of Methods and Results – Guanella Pass Visitor Surveys, Summer 2014 (RSG, 2015)
During the summer of 2014, the USFS conducted a series of visitor surveys at Guanella Pass to gauge visitor perception and expectations relative to transportation services, recreation opportunities, and visitor experience at Guanella Pass and on the Mt. Bierstadt trail. This memo provides a summary of the survey methods and survey results.