Cottonwood Pass Colorado OK for TT?

[duck_eater]

We are going to vacation in the Taylor Creek area in several weeks and I'm trying to determine if I can pull a 23' TT with my F150 over cottonwood pass from Buena Vista. It would save loads of time and would be very scenic. But I don't want to get into a problem here. If anyone could give me some thoughts on this I would appreciate it.
Tom

[duck_eater]

As an update we did not pull the TT over the pass and took the long way around. We did drive the pass later in the week in just our truck, it is truly beautiful and driveable with at TT. But it is very rough and not something I would want to pull my TT over, it would loosen ever screw in the TT.

[padredw]

I also have very mixed feeling about the paving on the west side of Cottonwood Pass. I kinda' liked it the way it was. We've been going over that road for many years and have stayed often along Spring Creek and the Taylor River.

[4runnerguy]

Thunder Mountain wrote:
Note that Cottonwood Pass will be closed in 2017 on the west side for complete reengineering and paving.

When finished, that will make the Taylor Park area even more crowded. 😞

[2gypsies1]

The washboards are not there all the time. 🙂 We've been on that road when it was relatively smooth for a gravel road. It's one of the easier CO passes to drive with awesome scenery.

[Busskipper]

4runnerguy wrote:
Nothing technical about the drive, but the washboards can be brutal. Take things out of your upper cabinets before you go down the west side. Of course when you get there, it will be smooth as a baby's bottom and you'll wonder what we're all talking about. 😉

As usual all are given great advice - ran across this Pic at the top of the pass-



As you can see just Beautiful - and at 5 MPH you will still likely save time and have a beautiful drive.

[Thunder_Mountai]

Live in BV on the east side of Cottonwood. As stated by others, there are a half dozen tight but wide hairpins on the east side. It is unpaved on the west side. We take our 25' TT over the pass to camp in Taylor Park. As mentioned, the washboards on the west side can be brutal. Note that Cottonwood Pass will be closed in 2017 on the west side for complete reengineering and paving.

[4runnerguy]

Nothing technical about the drive, but the washboards can be brutal. Take things out of your upper cabinets before you go down the west side. Of course when you get there, it will be smooth as a baby's bottom and you'll wonder what we're all talking about. 😉

[Bowfreak]

We dispersed camped past the lake in late May early June. The pass had only been open a few weeks at that point and it was very rough. After setting up our Trailmanor we drove up a little farther and it was really rough with large rock and ruts in the road. Back then there was no way you would have gotten a TT over the pass much less to far up the road from where we camped.

[Busskipper]

duck_eater wrote:
My truck isn't much just a standard F150, but it did manage Engineers Pass albeit without pulling a trailer. So it sounds like Cottonwood is very drive-able with a TT, just take your time.

SLow as the washboard is a real pain after a few miles, but doable and Beautiful - we did it in my Son's Armada and turned back after the first mile - Brutal - but you could be lucky a catch it right after they grade the road, not like us, just before they graded the road.

Really one of the great drives in Colorado.

JMHO,

[duck_eater]

My truck isn't much just a standard F150, but it did manage Engineers Pass albeit without pulling a trailer. So it sounds like Cottonwood is very drive-able with a TT, just take your time.

[WE-C-USA]

It is well maintained, as stated, if you & your truck, are comfortable with the grade/switchbacks both up and down. Go for it with caution.

[Thom02099]

While it is a high pass at over 12000 feet, it not near as challenging as it's neighbour Independence Pass. There are some switchbacks on the east side approach, not so much on the west side. It's a mixture of paved (mainly east side) and gravel (west side).

Google it and look at the various images that are available. It really is a beautiful area, with great views. Weather can be changeable, so keep that in mind. Go over early in the day if you can. Thunderstorms and snow at that elevation are both possible; thunderstorms more so, since August is part of monsoon season in Colorado.

[agesilaus]

I have not been over it but it does have 10 percent grades, tops out at 12,000 ft and is subject to rapidly deteriorating weather. The summit section is a gravel road. You know your truck better than anyone else.

Link

I don't think that site is very reliable tho.