Montezuma Basin

Montezuma Basin Road is just south of Aspen in the White River National Forest. The road starts at Waypoint 6 of the legendary Pearl Pass and takes you up to 12,800 feet, near the base of Castle Peak, which is Colorado's ninth tallest 14er (14,279 ft). The road was used as mining access to Montezuma Mine, which operated from 1879 to 1960. It also operated off and on as a ski resort from 1967-1977 with one snowfield and a tow rope. This road isn't necessarily difficult, but you must be fearless as the road is comprised of many long, exposed segments of shelf road, with some of it being off-camber, which could send you tumbling down very steep, rocky slopes. From the base of Castle Peak, you can begin to hike this 14er. Make sure you take in all the amazing views of the area and imagine what it would be like to live here year-round in the early 1900s! As with other mines, please look but don't touch. Preserve this history for generations to come.