Hancock Pass, a Moderate Trail for Broncos

Hancock Pass is a trail that passes through time, incorporating history and mountain scenery into a wonderful and moderately difficult drive.

The route used today was once the railroad bed for the Denver, Pacific, and South Park railroad and passed through the now closed Alpine train tunnel and restored train depot and station complex. Above the tunnel, the trail becomes the old wagon route that once connected miners to the gold mines of Gunnison. On it, drivers cross over the Continental Divide at slightly more than 12,140 ft.

Bronco Nation plans to lead this drive on the Friday of Super Celebration West. Members registered for the event are welcome to join us!

Check out American Flag Mountain, the trail we plan to run on Thursday.

Trail Overview

We will leave Buena Vista for the 30-minute paved drive over to St. Elmo ghost town, which has a tiny population of people and a gigantic population of chipmunks due to tourists feeding them. The small general store, open during summer months, encourages this by selling chipmunk food. After a brief stop at St. Elmo, we will continue onto the trail that follows the railroad bed route and is generally easy, getting moderately harder until the final mile or so up to the pass which is rutted and steep exposed rock. This area is popular for wildlife, and I have seen moose, fox, and coyotes along this route.

Once reaching the pass and getting some awesome photos, we will head back and climb over to Tincup Pass before returning to Buena Vista. The label Tincup was given to a prospector named Jim Taylor, who, in 1860, brought his gold strike down in his tin cup. Tincup Pass started out as another wagon route and is one of the most popular trails in the area. It leads to the tiny town of Tincup, with a permanent population of three people.

Recommended Items

We are excited to have you join us! Recommended Bronco equipment include bash plates and at least a rear locker. Both may be used on the final climb up to the pass. As the total trail time is approximately 6 hours, we encourage you to please bring your own lunch, snacks, and drinks, as well as a jacket in the event the weather turns.

Have You Been on This Trail?

We love hearing about your experiences, so tell us below: Have you been on a portion of Hancock or Tincup Pass? Did you stop to have the chipmunks eat out of your hand? Ask us and those who have been any questions you have about the route, and when we go, take lots of pictures to share with those who can’t make it!