Entry No. 36 — the Boulder file — filed under: railroad
Moffat Tunnel East Portal
The official death toll for building this tunnel was 28; a multi-year research project by Preserve Rollins Pass found the real number was nearly double — at least 54 — a ledger kept deliberately short for political and financial reasons. A dirt road from Rollinsville dead-ends at the portal mouth, a concrete arch bored 6.2 miles straight through the Continental Divide, and if you wait long enough a coal train will materialize from the dark, rattle past you at close range, and vanish back into the mountain on the other side. Massive ventilation fans kick on in the aftermath to clear the exhaust. When it opened in 1928 it was the longest railroad tunnel in the Western Hemisphere.
The move: Drive the dirt road to the portal at dusk, post up near the chain-link fence, and wait for a freight train to emerge from the mountain — then walk the James Peak Wilderness trails above the portal while the fans still run.
📍 Before you go Take East Portal Road from Rollinsville — it's dirt and dead-ends at the portal; passable for standard vehicles in dry conditions but narrow. A USFS parking permit is required; large lots can fill early on weekends. Vault toilets on site. The portal itself is active railroad property — stay behind the fence. James Peak Wilderness group size is capped at 12.
- 📍 Rollinsville
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Hours: Added 2026-06-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4
last checked: 2026-06-21