Squaw Pass Road - 10 Things to Know Before Visiting

The pass is a beautiful place to take a drive. The views are stunning, and there are plenty of places to stop and enjoy the scenery. In addition, there are several hiking trails that wind through the area, providing opportunities to explore the woods and mountain meadows.

The route leads up to Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain. The journey up and down Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain offers miles of scenic roadway filled with aspen trees, wildflowers, and mountain views in the front range of the Rocky Mountains. The surrounding Arapaho National Forest provides opportunities for hiking, climbing, mountain biking, and viewing wildlife.

Mestaa’Ėhehe Pass Road is also known as Colorado State Highway 103. The road is 49.56km (30.8 miles) long, connecting Evergreen, Echo Lake Park, and Idaho Springs with fully paved roads that experience a large number of sharp turns and elevation changes.

The first road over the pass was first established in 1923, and it was fully paved by 1956. The road to the summit of Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain is very steep, hitting an 8% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps.

Squaw Pass and the nearby Squaw Mountain were originally named after a derogatory sexual slur used to describe Indigenous Native American Women. The renaming was done only recently in 2021, and still, the old derogatory name can be seen in many maps and various literature.

The current name Mestaa’ėhehe is after a translator member of the Cheyenne tribe in the early 1800s. Mestaa'ėhehe lived between 1810 and 1847 and married William Bent, of the family for which Bent's Fort in Colorado is named. After marriage, she interpreted and smoothed over relations between people.

In clear weather conditions, the road is typically open from late spring through early fall. Winter weather can close the road at any time, so it's important to check conditions before attempting to travel on the road.

Mestaa’Ėhehe Pass is not considered an essential travel road, so access is often blocked by snow in winter.

1. Watch for wildlife. The pass is home to a variety of wildlife, be sure to keep an eye out for animals as you drive.
2. Drive safely. Mestaa’Ėhehe Pass is a mountain road, and it can be treacherous in winter conditions. Make sure you're driving carefully and obeying all posted speed limits. 
3. Check the weather conditions before you go. The pass is only open when weather conditions are favourable.

1. Squaw Pass Road was renamed to Mestaa’Ėhehe Pass as the original name was a derogatory sexual slur.

It takes half a day to drive through the pass and explore the summit of Mount Mestaa’Ėhehe and its incredible views.

From Denver, Mestaa’Ėhehe Pass is about 50 minutes to drive (53 kilometres).

There is no entrance fee for visiting Mestaa’Ėhehe Pass.

Mestaa’Ėhehe Pass is open 24 hours a day and closes only due to bad weather conditions in winter.