Hardscrabble Pass (9,085 ft/2,769 m) is a
mountain pass in
South-Central Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
(
USA
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...
). It lies between the
Wet Mountain Valley to the west and the valley of the
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United S ...
to the east. The pass traverses the
Wet Mountains
The Wet Mountains are a small mountain range in southern Colorado, named for the amount of snow they receive in the winter as compared to the dried Great Plains to the east. They are a sub-range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, in the southern ...
.
State Highway 96
The following highways are numbered 96:
Australia
* Buntine Highway
* D'Aguilar Highway (Queensland State Highway) Kingaroy to Nanango section
Canada
* Winnipeg Route 96
* Ontario Highway 96 (former)
Germany
* Bundesstraße 96
** Bu ...
runs over the pass, linking the towns of
Wetmore to the east and
Westcliffe to the west.
The pass forms part of the Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway.
[America's Byway]
Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway map.
Hardscrabble Pass goes through the
San Isabel National Forest
San Isabel National Forest is located in central Colorado. The forest contains 19 of the state's 53 fourteeners, peaks over high, including Mount Elbert, the highest point in Colorado.
It is one of eleven national forests in the state of Colo ...
.
References
Landforms of Custer County, Colorado
Mountain passes of Colorado
Transportation in Custer County, Colorado
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