Directions

From Gunnison: Drive north from the center of town on CO135 for 17.4 miles to Almont. Turn right (east) onto CR742 and follow to Taylor Park Reservoir. At the reservoir, head east, then south on FT765 to Tincup on graded gravel road. From Almont to Tincup, it's 24.0 miles. From Tincup, continue south another 5.4 miles on FR765 gaining elevation out of the valley on several switchbacks to reach the summit of Cumberland Pass at just over 12,000 ft. If in a passenger vehicle, park in the vicinity of the main road.

If coming from the east and not wanting to go all the way into Gunnison, here's another route: From Poncha Springs, drive west on US50 for 48.5 miles over Monarch Pass to Parlin where you will turn right (north) onto CR76. Parlin is just an intersection with a few buildings and is located 11.7 miles east of Gunnison on US50. Drive NE for 8.7 miles on paved road to Ohio City. Continue another 6.9 miles to Pitkin on the same road (CR76) that becomes FR765. On the north side of town, the road changes from paved to graded gravel. From Pitkin, continue driving NE, then north, passing the Quartz Creek CG and climbing to Cumberland Pass on a long switchback. From Pitkin to the pass, it's another 10.9 miles. If in passenger vehicle, park just off the main road. Higher clearance vehicles and 4WD's may drive NE for some distance on one of several ATV tracks. Park where you like and are out of the way, but try to minimize any further damage to the high tundra.


Camping

The closest National Forest campground is the Quartz Creek CG, about 4 miles north out of Pitkin on FR765. This is a nice little campground that we have found to have open spots even on weekends. There are 10 sites with a vault toilet and water available. As usual, there is a fee of $10 and it's a first-come, first-served campground. As of this writing, the Gunnison National Forest website was indicating water is not available, but there is a creek nearby. The campsites are accessible to passenger vehicles.

The closest other campground will be the Mirror Lake CG located 3.5 miles SE of Tincup. See the "Garden Basin TH" for more information. It's also possible to car-camp at the pass, but expect breezy conditions since it's above timberline.


Campsite Locations

Quartz Creek › N 38° 38' 19.32", W 106° 28' 09.10"
Elevation 9,875 ft.
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