Google Earth satellite image
of route
Click to enlarge (141 KB)
Rating: 3/10
Reno Divide, also frequently called Italian Creek Road, traverses between Taylor Park and Crested Butte. The best attraction along the route is the short spur road that leads to the 12,713-foot summit of American Flag Mountain as it provides an impressive 360-degree panorama. The most notable view is that looking to the east along the Sawatch Range, and on a clear day, you can easily make out the 14,000-foot summits of Uncompahgre Peak and Mt. Sneffels, 87 miles away.
The Reno Divide road starts just north of Pothole Reservoir Number 2 (signed along Taylor River Road north of Taylor Park Reservoir) on Forest Road 759. The road parallels Italian Creek on the east side and Cement Creek on the west. It can be combined with Pearl Pass and Taylor Pass to make a great loop. If you’re traveling east to west, 1.4 miles after the American Flag Mountain turnoff, you’ll come to a Y-intersection. The left fork takes the lower, mild road, and the right fork takes the upper route which stays above tree line until it meets back up with the lower road at Reno Divide. I have not taken this upper fork, so I can’t comment too much on it, but note that it does ascend a rocky talus shelf which has an off-camber section, which is the only thing that has scared me off of it to this point! The 3-rating that I list at the top is assuming the lower fork is taken. From the accounts that I’ve read and pictures I’ve seen, the upper fork appears to be around a 6-rated section, though the pucker factor sounds like like it is deserving of a 10. I’ll have to drive it at some point, which is undoubtedly more scenic than the lower section which goes through forest. From Reno Divide, the road is basically a good dirt road and intersects, and becomes, Cement Creek Road, Forest Road 740, which comes out to Highway 135 at Crested Butte South.
The pictures I have listed below are from two different trips. The pictures from the second trip are at the end on the third gallery page.
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