Colorado Trails

Hurricane Pass

4.7/5 (38 reviews)

Silverton, Colorado (SanJuan County)

Last Updated: 10/23/2022

Trail Information

Status

Impassable

Distance

2.29 mi

Nearest Town

Silverton

Management Agency

San Juan National Forest

District

Antonito Ranger District

Highlights

Hurricane Pass is unique in the San Juan Mountains in that almost the entire length of the trail is situated above timberline. This offers travelers the opportunity to observe high alpine wildlife such as Marmots in relatively close proximity. In addition, gorgeous wildflowers abound in late July contrasting the jagged, rocky peaks that seem to extend forever in all directions.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Exclusive for our All-Access Members

Easily identify whether the trail is stock friendly or not.
View 14 specific concerns along the trail such as height and width restrictions.

Upgrade from free to our All-Access Membership and get every detail, waypoint, photo, and more on every single trail guide.

Start a 7-Day Free Trial

EASY

MODERATE

Exclusive for our All-Access Members

Upgrade to our All-Access Membership to get:

A better understanding of the trail's difficulty with a 1-10 technical rating scale. Read More about our Rating System
A written description of everything underneath the tires including road/trail surface and obstacle information.

Start a 7-Day Free Trial

Add Trail Review Jump to Waypoints

Start your next adventure on Hurricane Pass

Upgrade your Membership

Unlock all of the details on every Trail Guide and Scout Route.

Start a 7-day Free Trial

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

Uploading to Gaia GPS

Please wait - Uploading to Gaia GPS

Directions to...

Trailhead

Trail End

Share Trail

Trail Navigation

Exclusive for our All-Access Members

Don't miss out on possibly the most essential part of a Trails Offroad trail guide! All-Access members love our Waypoints for:

Pin-pointing obstacles, points of interest, directional changes, and more.
Seeing three photos with every Waypoint for the maximum level of 'know before you go.'
Quickly seeing where dispersed camping is located.
Our integration with Follow Mode on the Trails Offroad app.

Start a 7-Day Free Trial

Exclusive for our All-Access Members

When you are an All-Access member, our trail guides come with a short video of the author running the trail to give you a visual understanding of what to expect.

Start a 7-Day Free Trial

Not allowed

Exclusive for our All-Access Members

Upgrade to our All-Access Membership and get full camping details like:

Photo of available camping
Full description of dispersed vs. campground details and regulations
Links to permitting websites if required

Start a 7-Day Free Trial

Starting Point

Ouray, CO

**From Ouray:** Beginning at the corner of US 550 and 6th Avenue in Ouray. Travel south on US 550 for 7.9 miles. Follow signs for Ironton Park. On the east side of US 550 is large structure of rocks that resembles a dam. Head east here and follow Corkscrew Pass trail for 4.8 miles. At the end of Corkscrew Pass continue east on San Juan County Road 10. **From Silverton:** Beginning at the corner of W. 12th Street and Greene Street in Silverton. Follow Greene Street northeast for 0.6 miles. Turn left on Colorado Highway #110 and continue north for 6.5 miles. Turn slightly left on to San Juan County Road 10 and continue north for an additional 1.5 miles. The trailhead is at the intersection of San Juan County Road 10 and the Corkscrew Pass Trail.

Trail Reviews

4.7/5 (38 reviews)

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Impassable

Visited: 10/23/2022

A recent winter storm in the Ouray/ Silverton area has dropped a measurable amount of snow and high winds have been in the area. Some high country routes in the area may be passable but high country travel is not recommended.

Jesse Almanrode

6500

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 09/18/2022

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

We ran Hurricane Pass as a quick run between Engineer Pass and Corkscrew. Not the first time I've done this little "connection" pass and it was as nice and easy as I remember.

Rich Brunnworth

4200

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 09/18/2022

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Vehicle: Xterra with a mild lift. A fun group run today, weather was perfect fall weather, road nice and dry.

Simon

1300

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 09/10/2022

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Great little connector trail with great views. Unfortunately the condition of the trail is deteriorating quickly. Take it easy on the trail - lost of fast moving bikes and SxS around blind corners.

Gavin Swanson

1100

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 09/07/2022

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

David

800

Open

Rated 4/5

Visited: 07/28/2022

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Pretty easy, very pretty. Great way to get to the Alpine loop as an alternative to the Silverton routes. On our way back, we took the Hurricane Peak trail up and back (between pts 3 and 4), which was neat.

Chris Parr

1400

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 07/18/2022

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Took California, Hurricane & Corkscrew back to the highway after completing the Alpine Loop. Ran into some pretty heavy rain and some hail which made it a pretty tricky endeavor. I'd agree with the overall rating though. Hurricane Pass is a beautiful trail though and didn't seem to be overly difficult, although I'd certainly prefer drier conditions.

Shane DeMars

1900

Open

Rated 4/5

Visited: 06/12/2022

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Nice route connecting California to Corkscrew. Conditions are currently dry but good.

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 05/30/2022

Open for the season.

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Partially Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 05/19/2022

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

San Juan County is actively plowing Hurricane and should have it clear in next couple days. Please be aware of icy conditions on the trail this early in the season.

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Impassable

Visited: 10/12/2021

Weather Forecasts for the San Juan Mountains call for a significant amount of snow in the coming days. Although some routes may be open, travel over these high mountain passes in winter conditions are not advised.

brad newton

900

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 09/09/2021

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

The views is what makes this a 5 star, short & sweet, but well worth the drive for sure. Looking down on Lake Como and Poughkeepsie gulch is quite a site, and finish this up with Corkscrew to return to 550 is a nice finish to the day!

Josh Spring

13300

Open

Rated 3/5

Visited: 08/17/2021

What a mess this trail was today. Even though it’s a Tuesday and a lot of families have kids back in school, etc, this trail was a zoo when I drove it. I think at one point me and 3 other cars going downhill were pulled over waiting on 3 SxSs, 5 ATVs, a couple cars, and a Jeep towing a trailer way too big for this trail. This is not a trail to stop and hang out on, just too many people.

Jake weikert

3300

Open

Visited: 08/09/2021

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

A very beautiful scenic connector between Cinnamon and Corkscrew. A nice break with awesome scenery. Nothing challenging other than a couple steep climbs.

Brad D.

17350

Open

Rated 4/5

Visited: 07/23/2021

Trail is open and in good shape. The rain these past few days hasn't impacted this trail. Good continuation from corkscrew to get to the alpine loop. Also fun to pop over the ridge and look down on Como lake.

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Open

Visited: 06/29/2021

Announced as fully OPEN per the US Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sanjuan/maps-pubs/?cid=fsbdev3_002300

JD Marshall

Official Crew

112500

Seasonal Closure

Visited: 10/26/2020

The county has closed the trails for the season due to snowfall.

Craig Rauwolf

3100

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 09/04/2020

Great trail to get from Apline Loop back to the highway. Flies by if not paying attention.

Brent McGee

1650

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 07/07/2020

Fun, easy and beautiful trail. Ran it from Cali pass and finished with Corkscrew pass...corkscrew pass runs up through the red mountains in the distance.

Neal A. Tew

4900

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 06/13/2020

Great run today starting on Corkscrew, then Hurricane and finishing through California. Beautiful. Completed in stock full sized Chevy.

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 06/11/2020

Announced as open today per San Juan County Roads Dept. Please adhere to any local restrictions that San Juan County has regarding Covid-19.

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Partially Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 05/28/2020

According to San Juan County Hurricane Pass is being worked on and is open to the top on the Corkscrew Pass/Gladstone side. San Juan County is lifting their Covid restrictions but they are tossing around the idea of a MANDATORY mask order in Silverton. Please adhere to any local orders and lets value our chance to get back out into the glory of the San Juans!

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Impassable

Rated 5/5

Visited: 10/28/2019

Currently, San Juan County has issued CLOSURES on all their backcountry passes. San Miguel, Hinsdale, and Ouray County issued a travel at your own risk advisory. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sanjuan/maps-pubs/?cid=fsbdev3_002300

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 09/28/2019

Good weather and gorgeous fall colors for our trip this weekend. Trail is in good shape and made for a smooth drive.

Andrew Earle

6300

Open

Visited: 09/02/2019

Pretty mellow driving and an incredible place to be in Colorado. Only a few rocky spots on the west side that kept our attention, easy otherwise.

Josh Spring

13300

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 08/17/2019

Awesome views from up here, and a fun short drive. Pretty busy when I went on a Saturday. Drove a few spurs off this road too.

Neal A. Tew

4900

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 08/08/2019

The Corkscrew / Hurricane / California route is one of my favorites. Scenery is amazing and this road is faster because it's less technical than something like Imogene. We experienced rain, hail, clouds and moderate traffic.

J Ranello

2600

Open

Rated 4/5

Visited: 08/02/2019

Great views on this short connector road. Wanted to take it up to Poughkeepsie but that is still closed as of 8/3/19. Amazing to still see ice on Lake Como, probably shy of 60 days until new ice is forming!

Gary

900

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 07/21/2019

There are some awesome views to be had and sight lines are still compromised due to snow banks. Watch for traffic, the number coming and going on the route makes this important in order to avoid unexpected encounters.

Ryan Boudreau

Official Crew

96150

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 07/13/2019

Trail is open and in good condition. Very wet and muddy on the Lake Come side of the pass, which is still very much frozen by the eay. Keep an eye out for oncoming traffic as the snow walls are high, and narrow on that side. The views currently are very impressive with the snowcapped mountains.

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 07/02/2019

Per San Juan County officials Hurricane Pass is officially open as of today. San Juan County has announced also that Animas Forks is able to reached by vehicle at this time also only by way of the Corkscrew/Hurricane/California Pass route. If Animas Forks is your destination then you will need to retrace your steps back the way you came at this time.

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Partially Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 06/16/2019

Hurricane pass is open to the top from Cement Creek (Silverton) side. Pretty good shape with a large turnaround at the top.

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Impassable

Rated 5/5

Visited: 06/02/2019

Heavy snow pack and late season snow falls have greatly affected the opening date to many of the trails in the San Juan Mountains. I will try to quickly update these trail guides to reflect when the hard working plow and dozer operators are able to dig these wonderful trails out for all of us to enjoy. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sanjuan/maps-pubs/?cid=fsbdev3_002300

John K

1100

Open

Rated 4/5

Visited: 09/09/2018

Great views above timberline. Trail was in good condition.

Christine Hammack

500

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 08/21/2018

The views are amazing and trail is in good condition. Watch out for large herds of sheep and their guardian dogs.

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Open

Visited: 06/02/2018

Declared open all the way through per the San Juan national forest. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sanjuan/maps-pubs/?cid=fsbdev3_002300

Greg Stokes

Official Crew

27400

Partially Open

Visited: 11/03/2017

Snow has fallen making this trail impassable until next season, closed at the top by snow according to the U.S Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sanjuan/maps-pubs/?cid=fsbdev3_002300

Michael Greene

800

Open

Rated 4/5

Visited: 06/17/2017

My trip came out from Lake Como, crossing the pass at Hurricane then on downward towards the junction at Corkscrew. My best recollection was of a wide and open track, apart from the shelf road overlooking Lake Como. Otherwise this is an easier section of the San Juans than most. We were 7 hours into our excursion at this point, on a trip over a year ago, so my details on this bit are somewhat hazy, but the views coming through the Red Mountains above the timberline are expansive and unique.

From the Community

Exclusive for our All-Access Members

Ask the author of a trail guide any questions you may have and get a direct answer from the author and the community! One of the many perks that come with an All-Access Membership.

Start a 7-Day Free Trial

Greg Stokes

Mapping Crew - Colorado

Greg Stokes Is a Colorado native, born and raised in Colorado Springs. He has been off-roading since childhood, his parents say his first trip was a Jeep run over Medano Pass when he was only 14 Months old. Greg has been at the wheel of everything from dirtbikes, ATV's, early Jeep CJ5's that he has restored, Wranglers, and presently explores in a 1997 80 Series Toyota Land Cruiser and a 2015 BMW R1200GS Adventure motorcycle. Greg is a proud Husband and Father of 3. His passion in the off road world is the vehicle-reliant world of Overlanding. He hopes to one day make it to Canada to Explore the Yukon and Northwest territories.

Visit Profile

Hurricane Pass

Trail Information

Highlights

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Exclusive for our All-Access Members

Exclusive for our All-Access Members

Start your next adventure on Hurricane Pass

Upgrade your Membership

Uploading to Gaia GPS

Directions to...

Share Trail

Trail Navigation

Exclusive for our All-Access Members

Exclusive for our All-Access Members

Exclusive for our All-Access Members

Trail Reviews

From the Community

Exclusive for our All-Access Members

Greg Stokes

Print Trail Guide

Recent Updates