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Ute Pass, Colorado
Real Estate and Community Information

Ute Pass is a mountain pass just northwest of Pikes Peak in the Colorado Springs area. It's highest elevation of 9,165 feet is at the Continental Divide. As you depart from Manitou Springs, you'll navigate numerous curves as the road passes through steep canyons. Closer to the summit, the terrain is more rounded and less severe. Woodland Park is about 20 minutes outside of Colorado Springs along the Ute Pass route.

History

Long ago, Ute Trail allowed buffalo to migrate from the Great Plains to the cooler meadows in the mountains in the summer. The trail was also used by the Utes to transport salt from the salt valley known as Bayou Salade to trading centers like Taos and Santa Fe. In the 1860s' the trail was widened to accommodate wagons heading up to the Leadville mining camps. In the 1880s, the Colorado Midland Railway ran tracks through the pass to Aspen and Leadville. Rail service ceased as mining declined. In 1932, a road opened that could handle automobiles.

Parks and Recreation

The North Slope Recreation Area is popular with hikers and mountain bikers. All the area's recreational activities are set against a majestic Pikes Peak backdrop. It's a sublime setting amidst sweet pine-scented breezes, blooming wildflowers and roaming elk. There are three reservoirs in the area: Crystal Creek, North Catamount and South Catamount. Crystal Creek and South Catamount allow bait fishing for a number of desirable species, like stocked rainbows, lake trout and a few brookies.

North Catamount Reservoir is also a fisherman's paradise, with a couple of caveats. First, a valid license is required, and second, only artificial lures and bait are allowed. That said, the reservoir has produced some trophy-size lake trout. The reservoir produces some ten-pounders, with an occasional trout tipping the scales at more than 20 pounds.