Loading...Connects: Highway 133 (West Elk Loop Scenic Byway), Huntsman Ridge Road (FSR #517), Ragged Mountain Road (FSR #898)
The McClure Pass Summit (8,755 ft) along Highway 133
Marble, CO – Mountain Pass
McClure Pass (8,755 ft) is a mountain pass accessed by Highway 133 (West Elk Loop Scenic Byway) near Marble, CO.
Distances:
Highway 82/Highway 133 intersection to McClure Pass – 26 Miles
More information about McClure Pass can be found at:
White River National Forest – McClure Pass (XC Skiing)
Wikipedia – McClure Pass
Ute Indians occupied Colorado before recorded history. With the acquisition of the horse from the Spanish in approximately 1640 A.D., Ute lives and social structure drastically changed. With horses, they could hunt larger game and traverse McClure Pass to intercept the buffalo migration route.
Utes were among the first Indian tribes to have horses, a measure of wealth which allowed them to live in larger, safer numbers in the “Shining Mountains” of Colorado.
Building A New Home
The discovery of valuable minerals brought miners and forecast the future of the Utes, whose domain encompassed nearly half of Colorado. While tolerant of trappers and prospectors, the Utes were not prepared of the ranchers and farmers who followed and coveted the fertile land. In 1881, the Utes were forcibly marched off to southwestern Colorado and northern Utah and placed on reservations.”
