Beginning from Breckenridge, take Boreas Pass Road south of town until the pavement ends and a gate marks the boundary of the national forest. Beautiful aspen groves are the first major attraction, especially when the leaves change in fall. From clearings, which are plentiful, you’ll get great views over your shoulder of Breckenridge Ski Resort and of the high peaks all around. Mt. Argentine is the treed summit just across the valley to the west, and Bald Mountain is the steep-sided giant that towers directly overhead.

Boreas Pass is notable as one of the few graded and well-maintained two-wheel-drive roads in Colorado that climb up and over a major alpine pass. In general, most other high alpine passes are either gnarly 4x4 roads, or are paved. Consequently, Boreas Pass is a gravel biker’s paradise!

This pass used to be a major mining corridor with a railroad through it. Along the ride you can find remnants of the mine towns and the railroad machinery, most notably Baker’s Tank. Some of the sites are marked but others are not, so keep your eyes peeled. Also watch for wildlife like deer, elk, and mountain goats.

The top of the pass comes at about 6.5 miles from the start of the dirt road. From here, practically at the treeline, views are grand in all directions. The route mapped here returns the way it came to downtown Breckenridge. More adventurous riders have the option to drop all the down into the town of Como, or even create a loop using Georgia Pass (mapped separately).