The 32-kilometre drive east from Aspen up Highway 82 to Independence Pass is one of the most dramatic paved roads in Colorado. The summit at 3,687 metres is the second-highest paved pass in the state, crossing the Continental Divide between the Roaring Fork Valley and the Arkansas River Valley. The road is closed by snow from late October to late May; even in summer it can be narrow and exposed, with sections where it drops to one lane.
Above the treeline near the summit, a short walk leads to a viewpoint over the high alpine tundra — wildflowers in July, marmots and pikas year-round. On the descent toward the pass from the Aspen side, the ghost town of Independence is a roadside stop with a cluster of preserved log cabins from the 1880s silver boom that gave the pass its name. The full drive takes about 90 minutes one-way and is best done late afternoon for the light.