Napoleon Pass

Napoleon Pass is a high-altitude mountain crossing in the Sawatch Range of Gunnison County, Colorado, reaching 12,034 feet at its summit. Named after “Frenchy” A. Napoleon Perrault, a 19th-century saloon owner from nearby Tincup, the route was first developed in 1882 as a vital wagon road connecting the gold mines of Tincup with the railhead in Pitkin. Today, it endures as a rugged off-road trail (Forest Trail 540), offering a more technical and adventurous alternative to the nearby Cumberland Pass. Drivers will navigate rocky sections filled with basketball-sized boulders, narrow tree-lined stretches, and loose shale climbs, all while taking in sweeping, 360-degree views of the surrounding peaks and Taylor Park Valley. Along the way, remnants of the region’s mining past, such as the historic Tincup Cemetery and the remarkably preserved Gold Cup Mine, add a vivid sense of history to this high-country journey.