Independence Pass
CO 82 crosses the Continental Divide at 12,095 feet between Twin Lakes and Aspen, on a road too narrow and steep for vehicles 35 feet or longer. Gates stay locked all winter. CDOT names an opening day a few days ahead and unlocks the gates at a set hour, which makes this one of the few passes where you can mark the calendar before the snow clears.
This year
Live plow-season reports load here. For today's conditions, go straight to CDOT's status page.
Conditions change by the hour at 12,095 feet — check CDOT's status page before you drive.
The record
CDOT aims for the Thursday before Memorial Day, and most years it lands within a few days of that. CDOT puts the usual closing on or near November 7. The first serious winter storm often makes the call. The winter closure covers CO 82 between milepost 47.2 on the Aspen side and milepost 84.2 near Twin Lakes.
Will it be open for your trip?
| If your dates start… | The road was already open in | That's |
|---|---|---|
| June 1 | 8 of 8 years | 100% |
Odds come from the full record below — past springs, not a promise about this one.
Every year on record
| Year | Opened | Closed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | May 21 | — | Gates opened at noon. |
| 2025 | May 22 | November 17 | Gates opened at 4 p.m., nine days earlier than the year before. |
| 2024 | May 31 | October 31 | |
| 2023 | May 25 | October 30 | |
| 2022 | May 26 | November 4 | |
| 2021 | May 27 | October 25 | A winter storm shut the pass at 7 p.m. on October 25; CDOT made the seasonal closure official that Thursday, October 28. |
| 2020 | June 1 | November 13 | |
| 2019 | — | October 28 | |
| 2018 | — | November 5 | |
| 2017 | May 25 | November 17 | Gates opened at noon. |
| 2016 | — | November 17 | |
| 2015 | — | November 4 | |
| 2014 | — | November 12 |
Record drawn from CDOT: Independence Pass travel information · CDOT: 2025 winter closure, with the past decade of closing dates · CDOT: 2024 winter closure, with the past decade of closing dates · CDOT: 2025 opening, with recent opening dates · COtrip road conditions . Last checked August 14, 2026.