From Ouray, the road turns off the road to Yankee Boy Basin above the Camp Bird Mine near the ghost town of Sneffels southwest of Ouray, and climbs through Imogene Basin to the summit.

From Telluride, the road takes off north of downtown and climbs past the ghost town of Tomboy through Savage Basin to the summit.

"Fort Peabody" was constructed in 1904 by a local unit of the Colorado National Guard on top of the pass to prevent union miners from crossing during a labor strike.

An annual foot race is held over the pass between Ouray and Telluride on the first Saturday following Labor Day.

The grueling 17 mi (27 km) race starts at around 7,800 ft (2,400 m) before cresting the pass at its peak, an elevation gain of just over a mile.