Loveland Pass is the first proper crossing into the high country west of Denver, where US 6 climbs to 11,990 feet on a series of switchbacks just above the Eisenhower Tunnel. Before the tunnel was bored through the mountain in the 1970s, this was the only way over the divide on the interstate corridor; today most traffic ducks underneath, leaving the pass to those who want the view and to trucks carrying hazardous loads that are banned from the tunnel.
The pass marks the Continental Divide: rain falling on the west side eventually reaches the Pacific, while rain on the east side drains toward the Atlantic. It is also one of the easiest places in Colorado to step out of a car directly into the alpine zone. There is parking right at the summit, and short tundra walks begin within steps of the lot, climbing the ridgelines on either side for wide views over the bowls and peaks of the Arapaho National Forest.
In winter the pass becomes a backcountry skiing hub. Skiers and snowboarders park at the top, hike or hitchhike up the ridge, and ride the open bowls back down to the road — a lift-free lap that draws a steady weekend crowd when the avalanche conditions are right. Whatever the season, the altitude is real and the weather turns fast, so dress for the tundra even on a warm day in the valley below.
From downtown Denver the drive takes about an hour and a quarter, making Loveland Pass an easy half-day outing on its own or a scenic detour on the way to the ski areas and mountain towns further west.