| Difficulty: | Number: | Miles: | Altitude: | Obstacles: | Time: |
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| Easy 4 | Cnty 12, Cnty 3 | 6.40 | 13,280 ft. | Ledge - 2 | 2-3 hours |
Lake County
505 Harrison Ave., Leadville, CO 80461
(none)
Closure:
July - Late usually open
August - Best
September - Best
October - Early snows
From Leadville, CO. head east on East 7th Street for 0.7 miles. Continue onto County Rd 3 and go 2.0 miles passing many intersections. Take a slight left onto County Route 3B and go 0.5 miles connecting back into County Rd 3. Go 1.0 mile and turn left to stay on County Rd 3. You will cross two creeks going 0.4 miles, turn right to stay on County Rd 3. Go 1.5 miles passing an intersection to your left for Birdseye Gulch. The switchbacks of the Mosquito Pass 4WD road will be ahead of you.
As early as 1839 Thomas Farnham and his group of explorers crossed Mosquito Pass with the help of a local blacksmith named Kelly. In 1861 a mining camp named Mosquito started on the east side of the pass. The Fairplay and California Gulch Wagon Road Company was incorporated on July 10, 1865 to operate from Fairplay, CO. to California Gulch near Leadville, CO. crossing Mosquito Pass. In 1870 H.A.W. Tabor and Augusta Tabor crossed the pass on horseback before a road had been established. In the early 1870 a wagon road had been built across the pass to support the silver rush. In 1873 the Hayden Survey crossed the pass and found it well used but still very rough. During this time when the rush was on to get to the silver mines in Leadville many poorly prepared miners died while crossing the pass on foot giving it the nick name of "a highway of frozen death".
In 1878 a telegraph line had been laid across the pass. This helped travelers when snows were heavey as they could follow the poles. On October 8, 1878 the Mosquito Pass Wagon Road Company was incorporated. They built the first good road over this 13,185 foot pass in 1879. From 1879 to 1880 four major stage and freight lines operated over Mosquito Pass on this road. When the railroad reached Leadville by coming up the Arkansas River Valley from Buena Vista, Mosquito Pass lost its importance and fell into disuse. Also in 1882 a rail line was put in to the London Mine to carry ore out of the valley. There was talk of a tunnel but it never happened. In 1889 a telephone line was run across the pass.
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| Leadville in 1900s photo by: H.H. Buckwalter |
Over time the pass road was not maintained and it was abandoned in 1910. The tunnel idea came up again in 1930. Today Leadville and Fairplay host a "Get your Ass over the Pass" event where people compete to cross the pass with a pack mule in the fastest time. This began in 1949.
Helmuth, Ed and Gloria. The Passes of Colorado Boulder, Colorado: Pruett, 1994. Print.
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North London Mill, 2021 photo by: Adam M |
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North London Mine Mill, 2012 photo by: Adam M |
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North London Mine Mill, 2003 photo by: Adam M |
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North London Mine Mill, 1988 photo by: Adam M |
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North London Mine Mill, 1988 photo by: Adam M |
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Tram towers from North London Mine to the Mill, 1988 photo by: Adam Mehlberg |
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North London Mine Mill, 2012 photo by: Adam M |
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North London Mill sign photo by: Adam M |
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There is a short spur road down to the mill. Where County Road 12 crosses Mosquito Creek the road condition changes to a rougher and steeper road. The width is still wide enough for two vehicles to pass.
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Mosquito Pass road photo by: Larry M |
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Before you get to the North London Mine there is a short loop road that takes you to Oliver Twist Lake. This road is a two track that winds through the rock hills to the side of Oliver Twist Lake.
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Oliver Twist Lake photo by: Larry M |
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Just past the lake the road will reconnect with County Road 12 just below the North London Mine.
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North London Mine, 2021 photo by: Adam M |
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North London Mine, 2021 photo by: Adam M |
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North London Mine, 2012 photo by: Adam M |
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North London Mine, 2012 photo by: Adam M |
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Motor remains, 2012 photo by: Adam M |
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North London Mine sign photo by: Adam M |
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The remains of the North London Mine arial tram station are on the side of the tailing pile. Inside are the ore shoots and a few components of the tram line loading station. On the hill below the the tram building are three of the tram towers that supported the tram line down to the mill. The mine entrance is against the mountain with the remains of an Ingersol Rand dual piston steam engine near by.
From the mine the Mosquito Pass road narrows and climbs to a saddle between London Mountain and Mosquito Peak before heading to Mosquito Pass.
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Looking up the ledge section from North London Mine photo by: Adam M |
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Ledge section above North London Mine photo by: Adam M |
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Looking down toward North London Mine from the saddle photo by: Adam M |
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Looking down at the saddle from below the pass photo by: Adam M |
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Looking up at rougher section after saddle photo by: Adam M |
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You will pass a left turn that takes you down to American Flats where the American Mine and South London Mine are. There is a sign that indicates a locked gate below.
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Looking down at the South London Mines older buildings photo by: Adam M |
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At the top of the pass there is a sign with information on Mosquito Pass. There is also a marker for Father Dyer.
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Father Dyer marker in 2003 photo by: Adam M |
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Mosquito Pass sign photo by: Adam M |
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There are two roads off of the pass that run along the divide. The one to the north goes to a radio/cell facility. The one to the south goes a short distance. Continue west down toward Evans Gulch.
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Mosquito Pass looking east photo by: Adam M |
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Mosquito Pass looking west photo by: Larry M |
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The west side of Mosquito Pass is a ledge road with four switchbacks that drop you down to Evans Gulch.
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View up the swtichbacks photo by: Adam M |
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Old telegraph pole near switchback photo by: Adam M |
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Lower wide rough section photo by: Adam M |
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Along the bottom of the valley you will pass Mountain Lake, Diamond Lake and Conley Lakes. The ledge road is wide enough for vehicles to pass in most places. After the switchbacks the road will become two lanes wide with some rough sections.
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Mosquito Pass switchbacks, looking up from the west photo by: Adam M |
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Near the Diamond Mine you will cross Evans Creek and then tie into the network of county roads that access the old mines east of Leadville. Stay on County Rd 3 going west down Evans Gulch to reach Leadville.