Though located closer to Buena Vista, Cottonwood Pass is worth the journey for a stunning ride that's refreshingly light on traffic. Unlike some other mountain passes that serve as mandatory conduits to access mountain towns, Cottonwood Pass is relatively isolated. It is gaining popularity as a summertime route to Crested Butte, but nonetheless Cottonwood may just be one of the best sleeper road rides in the state of Colorado.

The ​​Copper Triangle (AKA the Leadville Loop) is well known as one of the best road rides in the state, and possibly the nation! It links some iconic Colorado mountain towns including Vail and Leadville, and crosses the Continental Divide twice. On winding two-lane roads climbing over thin-air passes, the Rocky Mountain scenery is at least as entertaining as the twisty tarmac. At more than 80 miles with several thousand feet of climbing, it’s a real beast of a ride!