Mosquito Pass (13,185′), Mosquito Range

Mosquito Pass (13,185′), Mosquito Range

Mosquito Pass (13,185′), Mosquito Range

Mosquito Pass was built to connect the towns of Alma to the east, with Leadville to the west. It is the highest crossable vehicle mountain pass in the U.S. outside of Alaska. While there are higher vehicle passes, they are all out and back. The trail crosses the Continental Dividebetween the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers.

The Mosquito Range is also home to five 14,000′ peaks;  Mt Sherman Mt Democrat, Mt Cameron, Mt Lincoln, and Mt Bross.

Mosquito Pass Elevation Map

GPS Route with Elevation

Video Tour

Route Directions

From Fairplay, follow Colorado Highway 9 north for 4 1/5 miles to County Road 12 (Mosquito Pass Road) and turn left.  The tour begins quickly after turning off Highway 9.

Trailhead Directions

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Mt Sherman (14,043′), Mosquito Range

Mt Sherman (14,043′), Mosquito Range

Mt Sherman (14,043′), Mosquito Range

In the middle of the Mosquito Range lies Mt Sherman, rising above the western edge of South Park, in central Colorado. The peak is named for the Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, who served under General Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War.

Keep in mind that this mountain is on a mining claim owned by the Day Mine Company in Leadville. This is located on private property and is not public land. Misuse of this trail could lead to closure. Please respect private property.

Other 14,000′ peaks located in the Mosquito Range include Mt Democrat, Mt Cameron, Mt Lincoln, and Mt Bross.

GPS Route with Elevation

Video Tour

Trail Directions

The standard route starts at the Fourmile Creek trailhead and heads up the southwest ridge. From Fairplay, drive south just one mile on 285. Turn right onto County Road 18 and drive 10 miles to the Leavick upper parking area at 11,200 ft. In good conditions, the gate at Leavick is open and 4WD and burly 2WD cars can make it up to 12,000 ft, with various pulloff spots along the road.

From the Leavick upper parking area, begin up the road, passing a gate at 12,000 feet which leads to the Dauntless Mine and some old wooden buildings at 12,300 feet.

Continue northwest into a basin below Hilltop Mine and follow the old road up to the mine at 12,900 feet. From here, head west as the grade increases and hike up loose rock along a rough trail to the 13,140-foot-high saddle between Mount Sherman on the right (north) and 13,748-foot Mount Sheridan on the left (south).

Next, navigate to the right on Mt. Shermans southwest ridge, following braided trails along the ridgeline. After a few hundred feet the ridge begins to narrow but stays wide enough to avoid any danger. There are some scrambly spots than can be avoided with good route finding skills. Continue up along the ridge crest to the mountains long, flat summit. Find the summit cairn and the summit register (a PVC pipe attached to a pole), sign your name and enjoy the views.

Trailhead Directions

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Mt Democrat (14,154′) , Mt Cameron (14,248′), Mt Lincoln (14,293′), and Mt Bross (14,178), Mosquito Range

Mt Democrat (14,154′) , Mt Cameron (14,248′), Mt Lincoln (14,293′), and Mt Bross (14,178), Mosquito Range

Mt Democrat (14,154′) , Mt Cameron (14,248′), Mt Lincoln (14,293′), and Mt Bross (14,178), Mosquito Range

DeCaliBron” (Mt Democrat, Mt Cameron, Mt Lincoln, Mt Bross) provides an opportunity to summit four 14,000′ peaks in one day. The linkup involves a fairly steep hike up Mt. Democrat, followed by a prolonged walk along several ridges. The technical difficulty on this climb never exceeds class 2, but the amount of time above 13,000 feet is substantial, as is your exposure to weather.

Mt Sherman is the only other 14er that is situated in the Mosquito Range.

GPS Route with Elevation

Video Tour

Trail Directions

From the Kite Lake trailhead, cross the creek and head north from the lake. Ascend Mt Democrat first, taking switchbacks to the saddle between Democrat and Cameron. Turn left (west) and scramble to the summit of Mt. Democrat. After enjoying Democrat’s summit, descend back to the saddle. Hike east to the summit of Mt. Cameron, which is not ranked but is usually included as one of the six unranked summits to be included in the 59 list.

From Cameron descend south to the saddle between Cameron and Lincolnon. Lincoln’s summit cap involves a small amount of boulder hopping and is the tallest of the group. Next descend back to the saddle between Lincoln and Cameron and traverse to Cameron’s east side to avoid having to re-climb to the top. Continue around the cirque to Bross. The descent down Bross is very steep, going down a scree filled gully.

Trailhead Directions

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