Kebler Pass: A leaf-peeping destination in Gunnison County

GUNNISON COUNTY, Colo. (KXRM) — “Leaf peeping” season is underway in Colorado when thousands head to the high country and over our many mountain passes in search of gold aspens. But, you can find more than yellow aspen leaves along Kebler Pass.

Gunnison County Road 12, also known as Kebler Pass, connects Crested Butte to Somerset and civilization to nature.

“It’s 31 miles long and there’s about six miles of it that’s paved and the rest is gravel,” said Martin Schmidt, Assistant County Manager for Gunnison County Public Works. “There’s no cell service where we’re standing right now and there’s no cell service for 28 of the 31 miles of this pass. And so you really are disconnecting and getting into the wild and not being tempted to get on Facebook or respond to a tweet.”

You may meet a new friend or two but don’t expect them to respond to your Facebook request.

“We’ve seen bear, we’ve seen moose, elk, I’ve seen pine martens and porcupines,” said Schmidt. “You need to travel knowing that you’re going to encounter some sort of wildlife on this road.”

You can also count on breathtaking views and mountain landscapes.

“All along this road there are dozens of locations where we have some of the best vistas for aspens in the state,” said Schmidt, who added that soon these green groves will transform into fields of gold. “The locals call it leafing season.”

If you do travel to “peep” at the leaves, remember that Kebler Pass is still a highway that many locals use to commute.

“We have a huge mix of users,” said Schmidt. “So we have people that actually live here, and then we have commuters. We have people going back and forth, plumbers, electricians, service industry workers, as well as people that are just out to recreate.”

Schmidt said they often see huge numbers of people parked all over the road and even in the middle of the road.

“Not a very safe thing to do because it is still a road,” said Schmidt. “Make sure that if you come up here to look at the leaves, you’re getting out of the way of traffic. Don’t block people who are trying to get through; other people may have already seen those views and want to move on.”

Should you want to take in the views a little longer, there are camping sites along the route.

“There are multiple locations of dispersed camping but they are designated,” said Schmidt. “You can’t create a new camping spot. So you will find the fire ring and what is very obviously a camping spot and you can utilize that. We also have the Lost Lakes campground, a managed campground, at about the 15-mile marker.”

Remember to Leave No Trace and take only photos.

“82% of our land is public. And so unlike a lot of other places, when you drive a road like this, you’re not driving through private property. You’re driving through your land, the people’s land,” said Schmidt.

No special vehicle is required. “Every vehicle that we see can come across this road, except for semi-trucks right now, but any normal vehicle can make it,” said Schmidt.

But just like the seasons, this access doesn’t last forever.

“Mother Nature really sets those dates for us,” said Schmidt. “Our goal is always to keep it open to where we are standing, about six miles outside of Crested Butte until Thanksgiving, but sometimes we’ll get three, four, five feet of snow by Thanksgiving up here and it’s just not feasible to keep the road plowed open.”

Schmidt said the goal is to have the road reopened every spring by Memorial Day.

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