Coal Bank Pass Winter Driving: Purgatory Resort Road Guide

Coal Bank Pass rises to 10,640 feet on US 550 between Purgatory Resort and Silverton. Colorado's traction law requires 3/16-inch tread and M+S or mountain-snowflake tires, and avalanche control can close the pass after heavy snow. Drivers heading from Durango to Purgatory do not cross the pass at all, because the resort sits at its southern base.

TL;DR

Winter driving to Purgatory Resort is simpler than the mountain pass in the headlines suggests. Coal Bank Pass, at an elevation of 10,640 feet, sits north of the resort, so guests driving up from Durango reach the base area without crossing it. What you actually need is a vehicle that meets Colorado's traction law, a road-conditions check before you leave, and a plan for the days when avalanche control closes the highway.

Key Takeaways

Coal Bank Pass reaches 10,640 feet on US 550 between Purgatory Resort and Silverton, not between Durango and the resort.
Colorado's traction law requires 3/16-inch tread depth and M+S or mountain-snowflake rated tires on all-wheel-drive vehicles.
CDOT closes the US 550 passes for avalanche control after heavy snow, sometimes for most of a day.
Purgatory Resort sits about 25 miles north of Durango, roughly a 30 minute drive up US 550.

First, the drive into Purgatory Resort ends at its own parking lot, but the road north of it becomes one of Colorado's most famous winter drives. Coal Bank Pass, the first of three passes on the Million Dollar Highway section of US 550, climbs to 10,640 feet between Purgatory and Silverton guide to the Million Dollar Highway. In short, understanding exactly where this pass sits, and what the state asks of winter drivers, is the difference between a smooth ski weekend and a stressful one. If you are still weighing Purgatory against an I-70 resort, our why Purgatory beats Vail guide makes the case.

Where is Coal Bank Pass relative to Purgatory Resort?

For starters, Coal Bank Pass is a mountain pass in the San Juan National Forest, traversed by US 550 as part of the Million Dollar Highway south of Silverton Coal Bank Pass. It tops out at 10,640 feet between Durango and Silverton guide to the Million Dollar Highway. However, for Purgatory guests the geography matters more than the number. Purgatory Resort sits roughly 25 miles north of Durango, about a 30 minute drive up US 550 Plan Your Trip. As a result, the resort base is located just south of, or below, Coal Bank Pass, which means the drive from downtown Durango to the lifts never climbs over it.

However, that changes the moment your trip continues toward Silverton or Ouray. Meanwhile, the pass itself is serious winter road, with the north side fairly gentle and the south descent steep at a 6.5 percent grade, plus a runaway truck ramp for vehicles that lose control Coal Bank Pass. In other words, if you fly into Durango and stay at Purgatory, the pass is a scenic detail you mostly read about. If you are doing the San Juan Skyway loop or coming in from the Ouray side, it is the road you actually drive.

What does Colorado's traction law require for winter driving?

Colorado requires every passenger vehicle on a highway under a traction law to carry a specific level of tire equipment. During an active traction law, all motorists must have either an all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive vehicle with mud and snow (M+S) or mountain-snowflake rated tires and 3/16-inch tread depth, or an appropriate alternative traction device CDOT traction law. In short, all-wheel drive alone is not enough on its own without the right tires.

By contrast, the chain law is a separate, stricter standard. In addition, Colorado State Patrol explains that 4WD and AWD vehicles can comply with winter-rated tires alone when those tires meet the 3/16-inch tread requirement and manufacturer rating, while other vehicles may need chains or alternative traction devices chain law. For a family in a full-size SUV heading up from Phoenix or Albuquerque, the practical takeaway is to confirm the tires carry an M+S or three-peak mountain-snowflake marking and still have real tread before the trip, rather than discovering a problem at a checkpoint. Our winter road trip checklist walks through the full vehicle-prep routine.

Do you actually cross Coal Bank Pass driving to Purgatory from Durango?

No. The route from Durango to Purgatory Resort heads straight up US 550 for about 25 miles and 30 minutes, and the resort base comes before you reach the pass Plan Your Trip. As a result, guests arriving from the south and southwest, which covers the Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, and Albuquerque feeders, never climb Coal Bank Pass to reach their lodging. The pass only enters the picture on the stretch between Purgatory and Silverton.

Additionally, this is worth stating plainly because a lot of winter-driving anxiety online lumps every southwest Colorado pass together. Coal Bank, Molas, and Red Mountain are the three US 550 passes that close for avalanche work, but Purgatory sits below Coal Bank, on the Durango side guide to the Million Dollar Highway. So the resort itself is reachable even on many days when the passes north of it are shut.

When does the pass close, and how do you check before you drive?

CDOT has closed all three US 550 passes, Coal Bank, Molas, and Red Mountain, for avalanche danger and snow slides, sometimes opening Coal Bank and Molas later in the same day while Red Mountain stays shut US 550 passes open. Moreover, closures are always condition-driven and change by the hour, so the only reliable plan is a live check. COtrip, CDOT's official site, carries current road conditions, chain laws, closures, and cameras for US 550 and every state highway COtrip.

Before a winter departure, check COtrip for US 550 north of Purgatory if your plans include Silverton, Ouray, or Telluride. Once the road is clear, the ultimate Purgatory packing list covers what to load. Meanwhile, whether you are driving the pass or just the Durango to Purgatory stretch, snow tires or all-weather tires make the difference on the final climb into the base area.

Where should you stop and gear up around Durango?

Winter driving is a gear problem before it is a skill problem, and Durango has the shops to sort you out. Gardenswartz Outdoors on Main Avenue is the longest-running outdoor outfitter downtown and stocks winter apparel, while Ski Barn is the local ski shop for rentals, tunes, and any last-minute equipment. If you would rather not drive the mountain roads at all, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad runs the corridor by rail instead of by car through the same San Juan scenery.

For a comfortable night before an early departure, the General Palmer Hotel anchors the downtown end of Main Avenue and puts you a short walk from restaurants and coffee. As a result, staging the night before in Durango means your winter drive to Purgatory starts fresh in daylight, not in a predawn rush from a far-off airport motel. New to the mountain? Start with our welcome to Purgatory overview.

Local's Take: The most common mistake I see is drivers from the Front Range or out of state assuming every "US 550 pass closed" alert means Purgatory is cut off. It usually does not. Check the closure mile markers on COtrip and you will find the closures sit north of the resort, so your ski day is still on even when Silverton is not.

What is the safest winter driving routine for a Purgatory trip?

First, confirm your vehicle meets the traction standard before you leave home: all-wheel or four-wheel drive plus M+S or mountain-snowflake tires with 3/16-inch tread CDOT traction law. Second, check COtrip the morning of the drive and again before any leg heading north of the resort COtrip. Third, keep chains or alternative traction devices in the vehicle if you plan to explore toward Silverton or Ouray, because that is where the chain law most often activates chain law.

In addition, build buffer time into the Durango to Purgatory leg, since a 30 minute clear-road drive Plan Your Trip can stretch in falling snow. As a result, the family that checks conditions, confirms its tires, and leaves a margin of daylight arrives relaxed enough to actually enjoy the ski-in, ski-out morning they paid for.