The 11,990-foot alternate to the Eisenhower Tunnel, and the mandatory route for hazmat loads.
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Loveland Pass carries US 6 over the Continental Divide at 11,990 feet, a switchbacked two-lane with no guardrail on long stretches and no lighting. It serves as the I-70 detour when the Eisenhower Tunnel closes, as the mandatory route for hazardous-materials loads, and as the access road to Arapahoe Basin.
The pass runs through active avalanche paths. CDOT closes it for control work, usually with little notice and typically after significant loading.
Entirely above treeline. Drifts rebuild across the road minutes after a plow passes.
Loveland absorbs I-70 traffic it was never built for. Traffic volume alone can effectively close it.
Trailers and oversize vehicles are restricted. Passenger vehicles without traction can and do block the switchbacks.
Best driven in daylight. The switchbacks are unforgiving in the dark and the pass gets no lighting. Skiers heading to Arapahoe Basin should plan for the pass to be the slow part of the drive, not the highway.
The Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 is faster, lower, and open more often — but is closed to hazmat loads permanently. If both the tunnel and Loveland are closed, there is no through route across the Divide here.
Hazardous-materials loads are permanently banned from the Eisenhower Tunnel because a fire or spill inside an enclosed bore at 11,158 feet would be extremely difficult to control. Those loads are routed over Loveland Pass on US 6 instead, which is why the pass carries truck traffic even when I-70 is clear.
Loveland Pass stays open year-round, unlike Independence Pass, but it closes frequently in winter for avalanche control, high wind, and drifting snow. It sits entirely above treeline at 11,990 feet, so drifts rebuild across the road quickly after plowing.
Trailers and oversize vehicles are restricted on Loveland Pass. The route is a switchbacked two-lane with tight turns, no lighting, and long sections without guardrail, and it is not suitable for large towed loads.