Rollins Pass Maps
Satellite maps, wilderness campfire maps, USFS Snowmobile Use Maps, as well as USFS Motor Vehicle Use Maps for both sides of Rollins Pass (Corona Pass) are provided to inform the public.
This Rollins Pass Maps page provides essential resources for exploring the area safely and responsibly. Given the area’s complex terrain and varying conditions, accessing up-to-date maps and guidelines is crucial. This page offers detailed satellite imagery, Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs), snowmobile use maps, and wilderness campfire restrictions. By using these resources, visitors can plan their routes, understand limitations, and comply with environmental protections, ensuring the preservation of the natural and historical treasures of Rollins Pass for future generations.
Looking for details on what the road looks like for the season? Check out our Rollins Pass Road Status page.
SATELLITE IMAGERY OF ROLLINS PASS (CORONA PASS)
The satellite map of Rollins Pass, below, begins centered at the summit of the pass above the historic townsite of Corona, located at 11,676 feet above sea level. While the entire pass is open as a thoroughfare for non-motorized travel, the parking lot at the summit (located in Boulder County) can only be reached by motor vehicles from the Grand County side of Rollins Pass, starting near Winter Park, Colorado. The summit can only be reached from the east side of the pass by non-motorized means. Please note that the satellite imagery does not always display road closures/hazards nor does it always adequately represent that the pass is closed as a motorized thoroughfare across the Continental Divide. Before heading out, always print or download US Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs). Per Stay the Trail Colorado, MVUMs are the legal trails you can recreate on—anything off that is out-of-bounds. Please abide by these limitations for the benefit of our continued access.
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WHAT ARE MOTOR VEHICLE USE MAPS (MVUMs)?
Per the US Forest Service, “the Motor Vehicle Use Map is a requirement of the Travel Management Rule and reflects travel management plan decisions. The MVUM displays National Forest System (NFS) roads, trails, and areas that are designated open to motor vehicle travel. The MVUM also displays allowed uses by vehicle class (highway-legal vehicles, vehicles less than or equal to 50 inches wide, and motorcycles), seasonal allowances and provides information on other travel rules and regulations. Routes (includes both roads and trails) not shown on a MVUM are not open to public motor vehicle travel. Routes designated for motor vehicle use may not always be signed on the ground but will be identified on the MVUM. It is the public’s responsibility to reference the MVUM to determine which routes are designated for motor vehicle use. The MVUM may be updated annually [in January] to reflect new travel decisions and to correct mapping discrepancies. The MVUM is a black and white map with no topographic features. It is not a stand alone map and is best used in conjunction with a National Forest Visitor Map or other topographic map.”
ROLLINS PASS WEST (CORONA PASS WEST): MOTOR VEHICLE USE MAP (MVUM)
Since Sunday, July 15, 1990, no motorized route connects across the Continental Divide. Per Stay the Trail Colorado, MVUMs are the legal trails you can recreate on—anything off that is out-of-bounds. Please abide by these limitations for the benefit of our continued access. US Forest Service MVUMs also show where seasonal dispersed camping is allowed on Rollins Pass and on what side(s) of the road camping is allowed. If the map below of the west side of Rollins Pass doesn’t load, click here to load the map in a new tab.
ROLLINS PASS EAST (CORONA PASS EAST): MOTOR VEHICLE USE MAP (MVUM)
Since Sunday, July 15, 1990, no motorized route connects across the Continental Divide. Per Stay the Trail Colorado, MVUMs are the legal trails you can recreate on—anything off that is out-of-bounds. Please abide by these limitations for the benefit of our continued access. US Forest Service MVUMs also show where seasonal dispersed camping is allowed on Rollins Pass and on what side(s) of the road camping is allowed. If the map below of the east side of Rollins Pass doesn’t load, click here to load the map in a new tab.
ROLLINS PASS WEST (CORONA PASS WEST): SNOWMOBILE USE MAP (SUM)
No snowmobile route connects across the Continental Divide. Per Stay the Trail Colorado, MVUMs are the legal trails and areas you can recreate on—anything off that is out-of-bounds. Please abide by these limitations for the benefit of our continued access. US Forest Service SUMs also show where wilderness boundaries exist. If the snowmobile map below of the west side of Rollins Pass doesn’t load, click here to load the map in a new tab.
INDIAN PEAKS WILDERNESS AREA & WILDERNESS CAMPFIRE RESTRICTIONS
Campfires are always prohibited in the James Peak Wilderness per this US Forest Service page. Campfires are also prohibited in the Indian Peaks Wilderness on/near Rollins Pass by King Lake, Betty Lake, Bob Lake, Buttermilk Falls, Skyscraper Reservoir, Woodland Lake, and along the South Fork of the Middle Boulder Creek—these areas are in the Woodland BZ and Middle Boulder BZ where campfires are prohibited per this US Forest Service map; the only exception is on the ridge west of the Continental Divide (above Corona Lake), known as the Columbine Backcountry Zone (BZ). If the map below of the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area doesn’t load, click here to load the map in a new tab.
WILDERNESS AREAS
Rollins Pass is sandwiched between two congressionally designated wilderness areas: the Indian Peaks Wilderness, created in 1978, and the James Peak Wilderness, established in 2002. The Indian Peaks Wilderness is located north of the James Peak Wilderness.
Below is a map (north is up), from Aloft Air Control, showing wilderness areas shaded with light red. Per the US Forest Service (USFS), “UAS [drones] are considered to be both ‘motorized equipment’ and ‘mechanical transport’ and, as such, they cannot take off from, land in, or be operated from congressionally designated wilderness areas.” Read more on drones here.
Vehicles of any type, including motorbikes or bicycles, cannot travel into the wilderness. The only exception are wheelchairs.
JOURNEY THROUGH THE MONTANE, SUBALPINE, AND ALPINE ECOSYSTEMS OF ROLLINS PASS
The montane ecosystem (below 9,000 feet) serves as the gateway to Rollins Pass on both sides of the Continental Divide, offering a rich and diverse blend of ecological and historical treasures as visitors begin their ascent. Warm, sunlit southern slopes are graced by stately ponderosa pines, their resin filling the air with a distinctive, sweet aroma. These open forests, where sunlight dances through the tall trees, provide vital habitat for wildlife like the tassel-eared Abert’s squirrel. Some of the oldest pines rise majestically, reaching heights of up to 150 feet.
Beneath the ponderosa canopy, shrubs such as chokecherry, currant, and juniper flourish, supplying essential nourishment for countless animals, birds, and insects. Streams crisscrossing the montane are home to industrious beavers, busily constructing dams and lodges, while playful otters bring energy and life to the waterways. Elk can be a captivating sight, especially during the fall rutting season, when they leave their distinctive marks on young aspen trunks by grazing on tender shoots and stripping the bark.
On the cooler, shaded northern slopes, the forest transitions into denser stands of Douglas fir and lodgepole pine, creating a contrasting and equally vital ecosystem. Together, these varied landscapes contribute to the ecological richness and scenic beauty of Rollins Pass, embodying the diversity that defines the montane zone.
Above the montane lies the subalpine zone (9,000–11,400 feet), where snow from the alpine tundra drifts downward, nurturing a wet and lush ecosystem with over 30 inches of annual precipitation. Towering Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir dominate this region, with their aromatic needles and stately forms reaching up to 100 feet tall.
In the understory, shrubs like blueberry, wax currant, huckleberry, and Wood’s rose thrive, offering sustenance for wildlife. Meadows erupt with colorful wildflowers, including arnica, fairy slipper orchids, twinflower, and the whimsical purple elephant’s head, adding vibrant splashes to the verdant landscape.
The subalpine forest hums with life. Birds like downy and hairy woodpeckers, the bold Steller’s jay, and the cheerful yellow-rumped warbler flit through the trees. On the forest floor, small mammals such as the industrious pocket gopher and the lively golden-mantled ground squirrel scurry about, contributing to the vibrancy of this dynamic ecosystem.
Rising above 11,400 feet, the alpine tundra presents a stark yet breathtaking environment defined by its extremes. Thin, nutrient-poor soils, intense ultraviolet light, drying winds, and bitter cold create a challenging habitat where only the hardiest species survive. Plants here have evolved ingenious adaptations: they grow in low, dense mats to trap warmth, conserve moisture with waxy leaves, or insulate their stems and leaves with tiny hairs.
The growing season in the alpine tundra is fleeting, lasting only about six weeks, and the unforgiving conditions make it impossible for trees to take root. Despite these challenges, tundra flowers track the sun’s movement, optimizing their light exposure and maximizing the energy they need for photosynthesis.
Animals, too, face the alpine’s harsh realities. Marmots prepare for the long winter by building fat reserves during the short summer, sustaining them through hibernation. Elk graze here briefly in warmer months before migrating to lower elevations as temperatures drop. The white-tailed ptarmigan, however, remains a year-round resident of the alpine zone. This resilient bird endures winter’s depths with specialized adaptations, including feathered eyelids, nostrils, legs, and feet, ensuring warmth and survival in this extreme environment.
On the drier east side of Rollins Pass, snowdrifts blown in from the wetter west side play a crucial role in replenishing the few remaining glaciers. These glaciers, nestled in cool, shadowed valley cirques—bowl-shaped depressions carved by ancient ice—serve as enduring remnants of the area’s glacial past. Their meltwater feeds into the ecosystems below, highlighting the interconnectedness of Rollins Pass’s diverse landscapes, from alpine tundra to montane forest.
The human history of Rollins Pass is as timeless as its landscapes. Ancient peoples, guided by traditional knowledge, navigated this terrain by following animal migrations and seasonal plant cycles. They left behind a lasting legacy—tools, pottery, rock structures, and trail corridors—that reflect their deep connection with the land. This marked the start of a continuum of human visitation that continues to this day.
Rollins Pass remains a sacred site, deeply significant to Native peoples. They continue to care for this land, working to preserve its legacy and ensure that future generations maintain their connection to this ancestral homeland and its rich cultural heritage. Today, these efforts reflect the practices of its earliest caretakers, underscoring the enduring bond between humans and this remarkable landscape. As visitors explore Rollins Pass, they are encouraged to tread lightly, respect its fragile ecosystems, and honor its profound cultural legacy. By doing so, we can all contribute to safeguarding this extraordinary landscape for future generations to experience and cherish.
The primary purpose of our work is to inform the public.
