Ouray/Telluride/Silverton, CO – Ophir Pass Route is a moderate 9.9 mile scenic route between Silverton/Ouray and Telluride. We’ve always traveled this route from Ouray. To reach the start its about 20 miles south on Highway 550 to the Ophir Pass Route (aka CR 8 or FS 630). Ophir Pass can be driven in either direction and can be combined with Black Bear (as a return route), Last Dollar Road or Imogene Pass for a loop.
Mountain views on the east side of Ophir Pass
East side of Ophir Pass
Ophir Pass Route is rated moderate primarily due to one section of narrow, rocky shelf road on the west side of Ophir Pass. Passing on the shelf road is limited to a few wider spots and may require backing up. This section can be scary for a novice driver. If you see someone headed toward you, it is probably best to wait for them to come through before starting across this section. The route is gravel, rocky, and washboarded. The high point is Ophir Pass at 11,789 feet.
At Ophir Pass, elevation 11,789 feet
Snow lingers at Ophir Pass
West side of Ophir Pass
West side of Ophir Pass
Unlicensed OHV’s are allowed on the section east of the town of Ophir, but not through the town of Ophir. Be prepared to share the road with OHV’s, motorbikes, and mountain bikes. We use Charles A. Wells and Matt Peterson’s “Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel -Drive Trails” to find routes and their trip descriptions with valuable waypoint information.
Ophir Pass Route’s shelf road
The town of Ophir is seen in the distance
During this trip to Ouray we also traveled on Last Dollar Road, Porphyry Gulch, Alta Lakes Road, Corkscrew/Hurricane Pass/California Gulch, and Placer & Picayune Gulches. We hiked the Ouray Perimeter Loop, Wetterhorn Basin Trail in the Uncompahgre Wilderness, Blue Lakes Trail in Mount Sneffels Wilderness, a section of the Colorado Trail/Continental Divide Trail from Stony Pass, and the Highland Mary Lakes Loop in the Weminuche Wilderness. We stayed at the Ouray KOA but there are some other camping options in the region. During earlier trips we have driven Engineer, Cinnamon, and Imogene Passes.
