Rogers Pass–Needle Eye Bypass Trail, 3 sights is a 16-mile out-and-back in Arapaho National Forest near East Portal, CO. The route reaches Rogers Pass at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 2,156 ft, with sections as steep as 21% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 88/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi11,041 – 12,150 ft · steepest grade: 21%16.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Rollins Pass Road 39.92374, -105.66853
Nearest town East Portal, CO
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Rogers Pass–Needle Eye Bypass Trail, 3 sights
16 mi · ▲ 2,156 ft · 6 hr 25 min
Elevation 11,042–12,151 ft
Out & Back · Arapaho National Forest
Trailhead: Rollins Pass Road · 39.92374, -105.66853
Weather Sep 5: Drizzle, high 63°F / low 45° · precip 16% · wind 13 mph · sunrise 6:35 AM · sunset 7:30 PM
Dogs allowed on leash · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Rollins Pass Road, heading N.
- 1.6 miContinue straight onto Needle Eye Bypass Trail, heading N.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Rollins Pass Road, heading N.
- 400 ftTurn left onto Boulder Wagon Road, heading N.
- 1.4 miTurn left onto Rollins Pass Trail, heading SW.
- 4.6 miBear left, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Rogers Pass Trail, heading S.
- 350 ftContinue straight onto Ute Trail, heading S.
- 0.1 miReach Rogers Pass, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Rogers Pass Trail, heading S.
- 450 ftBear right onto Rollins Pass Trail, heading N.
- 4.6 miTurn right onto Boulder Wagon Road, heading N.
- 1.4 miTurn right onto Rollins Pass Road, heading E.
- 400 ftContinue straight onto Needle Eye Bypass Trail, heading SE.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Rollins Pass Road, heading SW.
- 1.5 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
87% dirt1% other12% unspecified
Weather
DrizzleTemperature 63°F45°
Feels like40°Precip16%Wind13 mphUV7Humidity49%
Rained 0.1″ 3 days ago (0.2″ over the last week)
Hourly temperatureRain chance
65°45°
Sunrise 6:35 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:30 PM
Sun
62°45°
23%
Mon
62°42°
35%
Tue
68°41°
23%
Wed
69°44°
38%
Thu
65°43°
28%
Fri
66°39°
29%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.2 mi in (~99 min). Leave by 5:30 PM for the 7:30 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:02 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Rollins Pass Road Trailhead
- Rollins Pass Road 3 mi · ▲ 276 ft
- Rollins Pass Road 3.1 mi · ▲ 305 ft
- Forest Lakes (Lower) & Forest Lakes Trail 3.9 mi · ▲ 1,012 ft
- Guinn Mountain–Jenny Lake Loop, 6 sights 4.8 mi · ▲ 809 ft
- Rollins Pass & Needle Eye Bypass Trail via Rollins Pass Trail 6.7 mi · ▲ 856 ft
- Beacon Peak & Needle Eye Bypass Trail via Rollins Pass Trail 8.7 mi · ▲ 1,164 ft
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