Milner Pass

Mountain pass in Colorado, U.S.

Milner Pass

Elevation| 10,759 ft (3,279 m)[1]
Traversed by|  US 34
Location| Grand / Larimer counties, Colorado, U.S.
Range| Front Range
Coordinates| 40°25′11″N 105°48′41″W﻿ / ﻿40.41972°N 105.81139°W﻿ / 40.41972; -105.81139[1]
Topo map| USGS Fall River Pass

Milner Pass, elevation 10,759 ft (3,279 m)[1] is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States. It is located on the continental divide in the Front Range, within Rocky Mountain National Park, along the boundary between Larimer and Grand counties. The pass provides the passage over the continental divide for US 34, also known as Trail Ridge Road between Estes Park and Grand Lake. The pass is not, however, the high point on Trail Ridge Road, which crests at 12,183 ft (3,713 m)[2] east of the pass within Rocky Mountain National Park. Along with the rest of Trail Ridge Road, the pass is generally closed in winter from the first heavy snow fall (usually October) until the opening of the road around Memorial Day. The gentle pass divides the headwaters of the Cache la Poudre River (which issues from Poudre Lake just east of the pass) and several creeks near the headwaters of the Colorado River to the west. The road near the pass provides a panoramic view of the Never Summer Mountains to the west.[2]

The pass is named in honor of T.J. Milner, an engineer who surveyed a potential railroad route over the pass. The railroad was never built.[3]

## Climate

[edit]

There is a weather station near the summit of Milner Pass at Lake Irene (Colorado). Lake Irene has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc), bordering on an alpine climate (ETH), with only two months averaging over 10 °C.

Climate data for Lake Irene, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, 1985-2020 extremes: 10700ft (3261m)

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °F (°C)  | 59
(15)  | 51
(11)  | 63
(17)  | 63
(17)  | 78
(26)  | 83
(28)  | 80
(27)  | 76
(24)  | 74
(23)  | 66
(19)  | 60
(16)  | 48
(9)  | 83
(28)
Mean maximum °F (°C)  | 42
(6)  | 44
(7)  | 51
(11)  | 57
(14)  | 63
(17)  | 71
(22)  | 74
(23)  | 72
(22)  | 68
(20)  | 59
(15)  | 49
(9)  | 41
(5)  | 76
(24)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)  | 25.4
(−3.7)  | 28.3
(−2.1)  | 36.1
(2.3)  | 41.7
(5.4)  | 50.6
(10.3)  | 60.1
(15.6)  | 65.9
(18.8)  | 63.6
(17.6)  | 56.7
(13.7)  | 44.9
(7.2)  | 33.0
(0.6)  | 24.9
(−3.9)  | 44.3
(6.8)
Daily mean °F (°C)  | 15.9
(−8.9)  | 17.6
(−8.0)  | 24.4
(−4.2)  | 30.0
(−1.1)  | 38.7
(3.7)  | 47.4
(8.6)  | 53.2
(11.8)  | 51.5
(10.8)  | 45.2
(7.3)  | 34.5
(1.4)  | 23.3
(−4.8)  | 15.7
(−9.1)  | 33.1
(0.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)  | 6.3
(−14.3)  | 6.9
(−13.9)  | 12.5
(−10.8)  | 18.2
(−7.7)  | 26.8
(−2.9)  | 34.7
(1.5)  | 40.5
(4.7)  | 39.4
(4.1)  | 33.5
(0.8)  | 23.9
(−4.5)  | 13.6
(−10.2)  | 6.5
(−14.2)  | 21.9
(−5.6)
Mean minimum °F (°C)  | −12
(−24)  | −10
(−23)  | −5
(−21)  | 2
(−17)  | 13
(−11)  | 26
(−3)  | 34
(1)  | 33
(1)  | 21
(−6)  | 6
(−14)  | −5
(−21)  | −12
(−24)  | −17
(−27)
Record low °F (°C)  | −22
(−30)  | −26
(−32)  | −18
(−28)  | −15
(−26)  | 1
(−17)  | 18
(−8)  | 26
(−3)  | 25
(−4)  | 6
(−14)  | −11
(−24)  | −18
(−28)  | −30
(−34)  | −30
(−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm)  | 3.66
(93)  | 3.67
(93)  | 3.62
(92)  | 4.51
(115)  | 3.41
(87)  | 1.56
(40)  | 2.03
(52)  | 2.01
(51)  | 1.90
(48)  | 2.79
(71)  | 3.32
(84)  | 3.30
(84)  | 35.78
(910)
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm)  | 58
(150)  | 72
(180)  | 81
(210)  | 80
(200)  | 66
(170)  | 26
(66)  | 1
(2.5)  | 0
(0)  | 2
(5.1)  | 12
(30)  | 26
(66)  | 45
(110)  | 86
(220)
Source 1: XMACIS2[4]
Source 2: NOAA (Precipitation)[5]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Milner Pass". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
2. ^ a b "Trial Ridge Road". National Park Service. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
3. ^ Helmuth, Ed; Helmuth, Gloria (1994). The Passes of Colorado: An Encyclopedia of Watershed Divides. Boulder, Colorado: Pruett Publishing Company. ISBN 0-87108-841-X.
4. ^ "xmACIS2". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
5. ^ "Lake Irene, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved September 26, 2023.

* v
* t
* e

Rocky Mountain National Park

Attractions|

* Alpine Visitor Center
* Alpine Tundra Research
* Beaver Meadows Visitor Center
* Agnes Vaille Shelter
* Dutchtown (ghost town)
* Fall River Pass
* Horseshoe Park
* Kawuneeche Valley
* Lulu City (ghost town)
* Lumpy Ridge
* Middle Park
* Milner Pass (Continental Divide)
* Moraine Park Museum and Amphitheater
* Petit Grepon (spire)
* Tuxedo Park
* Upper Beaver Meadows
* Wild Basin

| Peaks|

* Chief Cheley Peak
* Fairchild Mountain
* Hagues Peak
* Hallett Peak
* Longs Peak
* Mount Chiquita
* Mount Ida
* Mount Julian
* Mount Alice
* Mount Meeker
* Mummy Mountain
* Mummy Range
* Never Summer Mountains
* Flattop Mountain
* Lean Mountain
* Mount Richthofen
* Static Peak
* Taylor Peak
* Twin Sisters Peaks
* Ypsilon Mountain

|

Hiking trails and
technical climbs|

* Hiking trails
* Bear Lake
* Bierstadt Lake
* Continental Divide Trail
* East Inlet Trail
* East Longs Peak Trail
* Fern Lake Trail
* Flattop Mountain Trail
* Lake Haiyaha Trail
* Lost Lake Trail
* Shadow Mountain Trail
* Thunder Lake Trail-Bluebird Lake Trail
* Upper Beaver Meadows
* Technical climbs
* Casual Route
* Northcutt-Carter Route
* South Face (Petit Grepon)

Glaciers|

* Andrews Glacier
* The Dove (glacier)
* Mills Glacier
* Moomaw Glacier
* Rowe Glacier
* Saint Vrain Glaciers
* Taylor Glacier
* Tyndall Glacier

Bodies of
water|

* Bear Lake
* Bierstadt Lake
* Chasm Falls
* Dream Lake
* Fern Lake
* Haynach Lakes
* Hidden River
* Murphy Lake
* La Poudre Pass Lake
* Roaring River
* Snowdrift Lake
* Sprague Lake

History|

* History of Rocky Mountain National Park
* NRHP listings in RMNP
* NRHP in Rocky Mountain NP template
* Districts or areas
* Cache La Poudre River Corridor National Heritage Area
* Fall River Entrance Historic District
* Holzwarth Historic District

People|

* Earl of Dunraven
* Elkanah Lamb
* Stephen H. Long
* Enos Mills
* Freelan Oscar Stanley
* Ute people

Lodging
and camping|

* Grand Lake Lodge
* The Stanley Hotel

Natural disasters|

* Big Thompson River flash flood (1976)
* Lawn Lake Dam flood (1982)
* Mountain pine beetle outbreak (1996+)
* Big Meadows fire (2013)

Transportation|

* Park Roads
* Fall River Road
* Trail Ridge Road / US 34
* Highways
* US 34
* US 36
* SH 7
* Denver International Airport
* Denver Union Station
* RTD

Nearby
municipalities|

* Allenspark
* Boulder
* Estes Park
* Grand Lake
* Longmont
* Lyons

Geology and
geography|

* Geology of the Rocky Mountains
* Ecology of the Rocky Mountains
* Continental Divide
* Front Range
* Rivers of the Rocky Mountains
* Rocky Mountains subalpine zone

Additional
information|

* Rocky Mountain National Park Category
* Colorado Portal

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template