A look at 9 Colorado passes over the Continental Divide — and what to see on the drives

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo — Call it the great separator, or the thing that unifies us as Coloradans.

That’s the Continental Divide, or the Great Divide, so named for the mighty formation that separates our North American watersheds between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

In Colorado, we know it as the rugged wall between the Front Range and the Western Slope. We know the Continental Divide not so much as a barrier, but as an enticing invitation to scenic excursions.

The Continental Divide Trail lends perspective: This state houses some 650 miles of the route running more than 3,000 miles from Mexico to Canada. This state also houses some of the best views along the entire divide — its highest point meets Grays Peak — and some of its great history lessons and engineering feats.

Technology followed in the footsteps of hunter-gatherers to carve tunnels, tracks and roads over the mountains. Miners carved their own paths, along terrain now dominated by ski areas.

Yes, to travel the Continental Divide is to travel through time — and to make memories.

While the routes are many, here’s a look at some of the most prominent in Colorado:

Berthoud Pass

U.S. 40 between Clear Creek and Grand counties; topping near 11,300 feet

— FYI: The pass gets its name from Edward Berthoud, who surveyed a railroad route in 1861. And while his road is best known by Denverites traveling to the likes of Winter Park, it was another route in the vicinity that gained equally historic acclaim: Moffat Tunnel was marked the Western Hemisphere’s longest railroad tunnel when it finished through the mountains in 1928.

— Stretch the legs: Berthoud Pass is synonymous with backcountry skiing and snowboarding. In summer, one might park at the old ski area parking lot and hike above treeline to Mount Flora.

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