Lost Man Campground
Campground
Campground · 3.4 mi from the trail
Colorado · Hiking · Near Leadville
Independance Pass Overlook
Photo: dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 0.6 mi
- round trip
- 32 ft
- climb
- 12,131 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Independance Pass Overlook open right now?
Road closed
CO 82: road closure is listed as closed by CDOT 511 (3 listed).
CO 82: road closure
Closed · ~0.0 km from Independance Pass Overlook · CDOT 511
CO 82: Independence Pass
Closed · ~1.0 km from Independance Pass Overlook · CDOT 511
CO 82: road closure
Closed · ~0.0 km from Independance Pass Overlook · CDOT 511
FSR 286, Radical Hill, is closed due to washouts and unsafe conditions
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Limited parking at Snowmass Creek Trailhead
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
As of · Source: CDOT 511. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Independence Pass Overlook is a short, easy hike in Colorado's White River National Forest, within the Aspen Ranger District. The route is an out-and-back of about 0.6 miles, with a low point of 12,101 feet and a high of 12,131 feet, so the climb is a gentle 32-foot gain over the course of the trip. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Climax weather station, which sits about 787 feet lower, show July highs around 67°F with lows near 40°F and no snow days. Winter is cold and snowy, with highs in the upper 20s and about 15 snow days a month from December through February. The trailhead parking is at the Independence Pass Trail. The closest neighbors are the Mountain Boy cross-country ski area, about 0.8 miles away, and the Instant Karma Cliff climbing area, about 0.9 miles away. Deer Mountain is a hike about 1.5 miles off, and Lost Man Campground is about 3.4 miles away.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after Two Mile Brewing
Bar
On your way back · 17 mi
If it rainsLongled, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsHistoric frontier synagogue building
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Longled, CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)
More in LeadvilleGo with a guide
- Mineral Belt Trail Guided WalkRoamze · $25 per person · 18 mi away
- Maroon Bells Guide and Outfitters17 mi away
- Mountain BoyCross-country skiing0.8 mi
- Instant Karma CliffRock climbing0.9 mi
Deer MountainHikingPhoto: Toshihiro Matsui, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.5 mi- Lost Man CampgroundCamping3.4 mi
- Portal CampgroundCamping3.4 mi
- Lincoln CreekCanoeing4.7 mi
- Columbine CragRock climbing5.2 mi
- Lake CreekCanoeing7.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Independance Pass Overlook
No month here meets our mild-weather rule. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
27° / 3°
15 wet · 15 snow
Feb
29° / 3°
15 wet · 15 snow
Mar
35° / 8°
14 wet · 14 snow
Apr
40° / 15°
13 wet · 13 snow
May
49° / 25°
10 wet · 8 snow
Jun
61° / 34°
8 wet · 2 snow
Jul
67° / 40°
13 wet
Aug
64° / 39°
15 wet
Sep
58° / 32°
11 wet · 2 snow
Oct
47° / 21°
9 wet · 7 snow
Nov
35° / 11°
12 wet · 12 snow
Dec
27° / 3°
15 wet · 15 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Climax, CO, 26.9 mi away at 11,344 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Closures we've recorded since August 2026
CO 82: Independence Pass closed
closed Oct 31, 2026, no reopening recorded · State DOT
CO 82: Independence Pass closed
closed Oct 31, 2026 → reopened Oct 31, 2026 · State DOT
