Entry No. 11 — the Boulder file — filed under: abandoned railroad
Devil's Slide Trestles (Rollins Pass)
Clinging to the edge of a cliff at 11,475 feet, the Devil's Slide Trestles are twin wooden railroad bridges built in 1904 as part of David Moffat's Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway — one of the highest standard-gauge railroads ever constructed in the United States. The 128-foot main trestle spans more than 1,000 feet above the South Fork of Middle Boulder Creek; the drop is so sheer that three Statues of Liberty stacked together still wouldn't reach the deck level. Trains ran this route until 1928, when the 6.3-mile Moffat Tunnel made the pass redundant. The tracks came out in 1938, the road followed in 1955, and a tunnel collapse in 1990 closed the route permanently to vehicles. What remains are the timber bents — built by 17 workers using footers carved into bare rock — still standing after 120 winters.
The move: Drive the rough 4WD road from Rollinsville and hike the final 1.25 miles along the old rail grade to reach the trestles. Stand at the edge with nothing but thin mountain air and a thousand-foot drop below the boards, then sit on the grade with sandwiches and a view of the Continental Divide that no locomotive has seen since Prohibition.
📍 Before you go Seasonal access only: the road typically opens around June 15 and closes November 15, though snow can push opening to early July. A high-clearance 4WD vehicle is required on the east (Rollinsville) side — the road is unmaintained with exposed rock. The final 1.25 miles to the trestles is on foot or bike; the trestles themselves are not safely crossable. Check current road status at preserverollinspass.org before heading out. No fees, no reservations.
- 📍 Boulder
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Rollins Pass Road (County Road 16), accessed from Rollinsville, CO 80474 (east approach); road ends ~1.25 miles from trestles
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4
last checked: 2026-06-11