Preserve Rollins Pass
OUR MISSION
Preserve Rollins Pass encourages the responsible visitor to take care of the pass along with its vast 12,000 years of history for the next generation; we also safeguard Rollins Pass and Moffat Tunnel chronology, photographs, stories, structures, and landscapes.
Read about how we preserve, protect, and restore these areas.
AURORA BOREALIS (NORTHERN LIGHTS) FROM THE RIFLESIGHT NOTCH TRESTLE ON ROLLINS PASS
B. Travis Wright, MPS is “an extraordinary champion of the entire Rollins Pass region.”
“East Portal Cabins—history didn’t end when the tunnel opened,” The Mountain Ear (page 17)—June 8, 2023
STATE HONOR AWARD—2022
B. Travis Wright, MPS was recognized and celebrated with a State Honor Award for excellence in historic preservation and preservation leadership for over a decade of work on Rollins Pass (Corona Pass) in Colorado. Read more.
In 1980, the Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway Hill Route Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and cross-listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. In 1997, a boundary increase was filed to the entry to include the Rollinsville and Middle Park Wagon Road. In 2012, Colorado Preservation Inc. listed the area as one of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places. As the 21st century unfolds, new challenges place the integrity of the historic district at risk.
“It was immediately apparent not just how much passion Travis had for Rollins Pass but also how much knowledge he had about its history, about its cultural importance, but also about how historic preservation worked.”
—Colorado State Archaeologist and the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer at History Colorado
PARTNER OF THE YEAR AWARD—2023
B. Travis Wright and Kate Wright were recognized and presented with the Partner of the Year award by Headwaters Trails Alliance for their work on Rollins Pass in 2023.
“The Rollins Pass project was by far, our biggest boots on the ground project of the season. We built 860-feet of buck and rail [fencing] up on Rollins and we couldn’t have done it without these two people [Travis and Kate Wright]. We partnered with them to do all the planning, get all the logistics for where we were going to place the fence, and Travis [delivered the keynote address] at our Trails Symposium in September.”
ARCHAEOLOGY & HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARD—2018
For their 2018 publication, Rollins Pass, both Kate and Travis received an Archaeology and Historic Preservation Award for contributions to local history and historic preservation on Rollins Pass in Boulder County given by the Boulder Heritage Roundtable and Historic Boulder in 2018.
ROLLINS PASS ROAD STATUS (CORONA PASS ROAD STATUS)
The Rollins Pass Road Status (Corona Pass Road Status) and road conditions information is updated every week of the year and often daily.
PUBLISHED WORKS (2022 & 2018)
Introducing our newest book!
Order your autographed copy today!
What’s the difference between your first book, Rollins Pass: Images of America (2018) and your second book, Rollins Pass: Past & Present (2022)?
While our two books cover the same core topics of Rollins Pass and the Moffat Tunnel, the 2022 book is not a republication of our 2018 work—in fact, there’s very little that’s duplicated between the two books. Our 2022 book discusses completely new details and information about Rollins Pass that transpired in the four years between publications. The 2022 work has never-before-published and extraordinarily rare imagery meticulously restored from the originals: all historic photographs are printed in black and white with modern counterparts in full color. While our first book involved two dozen people, our second book involved the efforts of more than six dozen experts to help tell this area’s vast story.
Due to exceptionally popular demand, our award-winning first title entered its third printing within a year of publication!
Each of our books, presentations, and documentaries involve tens of thousands of hours of work in consultation with experts across the country.
Preserve Rollins Pass made a donation from the proceeds of our first royalties to Colorado State University’s Archaeology Field School—they conduct field research and archaeology on Rollins Pass in the summers. We have also donated over a hundred books to local libraries, master’s degree and PhD students, preservation groups, county governments, and land managers. We are also committed to helping rebuild the home libraries of those who lost everything in the East Troublesome Fire of 2020—including attempting to replace their collection of classic Rollins Pass books. Per household lost, we provide a complimentary signed replacement of our 2018 book plus a free signed copy of our 2022 book; and, from time to time if/as availability allows, no-cost (and sometimes signed!) replacements of Bollinger’s books “The Rails That Climb” and “The Moffat Road.”
LIVE PRESENTATIONS & MASTERCLASSES
“Articulate, passionate, and informative: strategic and passionate advocacy that uses tact and historic facts to make its case.”
—Presentation Attendee Comment
ADOPT-A-TRAIL: N76 (RIFLESIGHT) ON ROLLINS PASS WEST NEAR WINTER PARK, COLORADO IN GRAND COUNTY
Our adopted trail, N76—Riflesight, is open every summer (typically best starting the first week in July) through mid-autumn for hikers, equestrians, and bicyclists.
N76 is closed to all wheeled motorized vehicles
DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS INVOLVING THE MOFFAT TUNNEL AND THE EAST PORTAL CAMP CABINS NEAR ROLLINSVILLE, COLORADO IN GILPIN COUNTY
World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys (Season 4, Episode 5) debuts on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom
The episode narrated by Bill Nighy showcases the Rocky Mountaineer. Moffat Tunnel Historian B. Travis Wright discusses how the tunnel is a cathedral to engineering and a realization of David Moffat’s dream—as well as a uniquely American achievement from nearly a century ago. The East Portal company town and “the hill route” are also mentioned.
The episode above builds on the foundations laid for the 2020 Endangered Places Program Announcement for the East Portal Camp Cabins, below:
On June 13, 2023, the East Portal Camp Cabins at the Moffat Tunnel were listed as a Gilpin County local historic landmark by the Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners and the cabins are now eligible for grants! Click here to learn more about what the process looked like and what’s next for these incredible structures that have been listed as one of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places.
CURRENT PROJECTS—THE MOFFAT TUNNEL
Track the centennial of the construction and opening of the Moffat Tunnel!
(1923-1928 | 2023-2028)
Our five-year story started in the summer of 2023 exclusively on this Facebook page for our social media followers and expanded on our Great Gates Blog for a broader audience. It will culminate on February 26, 2028, marking the centennial of the Moffat Tunnel’s opening ceremony. We’ll share never-before-seen imagery, video, and items—along with stories and perhaps some special guests along the way as well.
HOW YOU CAN HELP PRESERVE HISTORY: TAKE ACTION
You can help preserve 12,000 years of history atop Rollins Pass in Colorado: take action.
We acknowledge and honor the indigenous peoples of the land upon which Rollins Pass stands.
Rollins Pass is considered a sacred area for both the Nuuchu (Ute) and the Nookhose’iinenno (Arapaho) tribes.
Preserve Rollins Pass strives to fulfill a Native American adage: “In every deliberation, consider the impact of decisions on the next seven generations.” As one of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places, prehistoric and historic preservation of Rollins Pass are paramount.
Through partnerships with state and federal representatives, Native American tribes, special interest groups across the nation, archaeologists, historians, and university professors, Preserve Rollins Pass applies strategic pressures to protect the integrity of this national historic district. Credited for their professional facilitation, negotiation best practices, and ability to deliver a “master class on how to make a point,” Preserve Rollins Pass makes the case for preservation, delivered through breathtaking videography and photography, modern marketing, technology, and presentation skills. These efforts—combined with active volunteer and public outreach, education, and field archaeology—have culminated in the collapse of significant threats to the area, including a proposed federal land exchange involving Rollins Pass.
Co-founder, B. Travis Wright, MPS is a 2022 Colorado Preservation Inc. State Honor Award recipient for his advocacy of Rollins Pass, is President of the Board of the Grand County Historical Association, and is Vice Chair of the Gilpin County Historic Preservation Commission. Kate and Travis were recognized with the Partner of the Year award by Headwaters Trails Alliance in appreciation of their contributions to the meticulous planning and logistics related to the area in 2023.
To learn how to help advance historic preservation of this incredible and non-renewable resource containing 12,000 years of history, please email [email protected]. Learn more about getting involved by visiting our pages on providing constructive public comments, donating your time and resources, subscribing to our newsletter and social media channels, and exploring additional ways to take action.
Thank you for your help, time, and support!
—B. Travis Wright, MPS and Kate Wright, MBA
We warmly welcome our international visitors. Every year, this site attracts thousands of views from countries such as the United Kingdom, Finland, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Australia, Sweden, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Mexico, the Philippines, Switzerland, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Iceland, Greece, New Zealand, and many more. Rollins Pass and the Moffat Tunnel captivate the imaginations of people worldwide. Even from afar, visitors are drawn to their rich history and enduring legacy, discovering a shared connection to this remarkable and timeless landscape. Whether embarking on the journey in person or admiring its beauty and history from a distance, people from every corner of the globe are united by the pioneering spirit that echoes through the rugged peaks and storied paths of Rollins Pass.
CONTACT US ABOUT ROLLINS PASS AND THE MOFFAT TUNNEL
We love talking anything related to Rollins Pass (Corona Pass, Boulder Pass, South Boulder Pass, Rollinsville Pass) as well as the Moffat Tunnel at any time. We call Fraser home and enjoy meeting folks over a cup of coffee—any time of day, or virtual coffee on Zoom or Microsoft Teams if it is more convenient.
We also enjoy meeting on or atop the pass year-round… and sometimes our meetings aren’t scheduled: we have treated families to hot pizza while they waited for a tow truck in an area of Rollins Pass that doesn’t have cell signal, given groups of bicyclists our reserve water from the back of our truck, shuttled stranded motorists back to town, or opened our lunch kits to those who needed additional calories or protein to get over the pass and through their day. We also share stories, take family photographs, roll the cameras for groups of snowmobilers, help look for lost dogs, answer historical questions, advise on closure areas, contribute to academic projects and capstones, suggest scenic vistas to honor ancestors, provide directions, and sometimes tuck complimentary signed books under windshield wipers of out of state vehicles parked on the pass.
OUR COMMITMENT TO AUTHENTIC IMAGERY: WE DO NOT USE SYNTHETIC OR ARTIFICIALLY-GENERATED IMAGES
All photographs and video we use and publish are directly made with a camera, except for scanned images or archival video of historical significance. We do not use synthetic or artificially-generated images that appear lifelike. While we may employ smart tools or AI-powered enhancement techniques, these methods do not result in significant alterations to the image as a whole, nor do they create misleading representations. The enhancements we apply do not modify the appearance of the subject beyond the way the subject appears in nature.
OUR MOST POPULAR SITE ASSETS
Publications | Presentations | Resources | Outdoor Essentials | Driving Etiquette | Weather | Maps | Mountain Flying | Drone Regulations | Fire Information | Wildlife Interactions | Leave No Trace | Road Status | FAQs | Media Resources | With Gratitude | The Great Gates Blog | Video Library | Contact Us
The primary purpose of our work is to inform the public.
