How to Elope on Guanella Pass
Welp, the groundhog this year certainly wasn’t wrong, and half of America has been getting hammered with unseasonably cold/snowy/icy weather. So, I figure there is no better time than now to share all of my thoughts on eloping on Guanella Pass, starting with Melanie & Shawn’s winter elopement!
Eloping on Guanella Pass In the Winter/Spring
The first thing you need to know about eloping on Guanella Pass is that it is not open half the year! Guanella Pass typically closes for the winter months right around Thanksgiving and reopens roughly around Memorial Day. That being said - it is totally still accessible, so long as mother nature is willing to work with us, and if you’re willing to hike roughly 4 miles round trip :)
The pass closes right at the Guanella Pass campground, which is exactly 8.7 miles driving distance from Georgetown. Some of the perks about eloping on Guanella Pass in the winter:
Waaaayyyy less busy
Gorgeous snowy mountains
Incorporating a fun short hike to your elopement spot
You get to have Georgetown seemingly to yourselves
Now that I’ve mentioned the perks, I’ll talk about really the only downside - the weather. It can be cold, incredibly windy, snowing sideways or all of the above at once. Eloping here in the winter is truly for the adventurous, and I don’t usually recommend it until late spring.
Eloping on Guanella Pass in the Summer/Fall
Guanella Pass in June
One of the best things about living in Denver is how close some of these amazing elopement locations can be. Guanella Pass is exactly 54 miles away from Denver, which makes it great for those couples who want a bit of both worlds. You can easily have your elopement in the morning, grab lunch and a quick beer from the Guanella Pass brewing company in Georgetown on your way out, and safely (always have a DD!) make your way down to Denver for some city night life celebrating.
The thing about eloping on Guanella Pass in the summer or fall is that it is EXTREMELY busy. I cannot stress this enough. If you decide to elope on a Saturday in July, be prepared to run into other couples, as well as folks who are trying to summit Mt. Bierstadt (the trailhead begins at the top of Guanella Pass), which is typically known throughout Colorado as one of the closer and easier 14ers to summit. In the fall, you’ll have less folks who are trying to summit Mt. Bierstadt, but as aspens line most of Guanella Pass Road, you’ll be dealing with leaf peeper traffic.
I always recommend the following when eloping on Guanella Pass:
Aim for sunrise (read my blog post about why sunrise is the absolute best!)
Aim for a weekday
In line with aim for sunrise, but avoid afternoons when possible - afternoon storms in the mountains are no joke!
Be prepared for windy
But also be prepared for some of the most beautiful mountain views!
As of today, there is no permit required for eloping at the top of Guanella Pass. You must follow LNT principles, and if you have guests you cannot bring chairs or anything else that might damage the sensitive landscape.
When choosing to have a Guanella Pass elopement, you have a few options. You can hike in a bit on the east side of the road, which is the Mt. Bierstadt side, or you can choose one of the many hikes on the west side of the road. If eloping on Guanella Pass interests you please do not hesitate to reach out, I would love to help you plan and photograph your elopement!
Check out Melanie and Shawn’s amazing spring elopement on Guanella Pass below to get a good feel for what a hiking snowy elopement feels like!