Lizard Head Pass, at 3,116 metres, is the high point of Colorado Highway 145 between Telluride and Dolores, and one of the loveliest crossings on the San Juan Skyway. The pass takes its name from the peak that stands over it, a pinnacle of volcanic rock some thirteen thousand feet high, whose top, shaped like a reptile's head, has long been regarded as among the hardest climbs in the state. The mountain stands in a wilderness of its own, with high meadows full of wildflowers in July and forests of Engelmann spruce and aspen, and the road crosses a quiet, open saddle with views that go on and on.
The area has a mining past. The Rio Grande Southern Railroad crossed here in the early twentieth century, carrying ore and passengers between the silver towns of Rico and Telluride, and some of the old railroad grades can still be traced along the hillsides. Rico, to the south, is an old silver camp that still has a handful of stone buildings. Trout Lake, a few kilometres north of the pass, is a pretty alpine lake with the sharp peaks of the San Miguel range rising behind.
The riding is a delight. Highway 145 climbs from Telluride in a long series of bends through forest, then crosses the pass in gentle curves, and drops down toward Dolores through pasture and aspen. The surface is good, the traffic is moderate, and the air at three thousand metres is thin and sharp. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer, and can bring hail and lightning, so start early and be down from high ground by midday. Snow can fall in any month, and the pass is sometimes closed briefly in winter. Be careful of elk and deer, especially at dawn and dusk.
The nearest stations are in Telluride and Mountain Village to the north, and in Rico and Dolores to the south, so fill the tank before climbing. Autumn is the best season, when the aspens turn gold, usually in late September, and the whole range seems lit from within. The air smells of spruce and cold stone, and the silence on a still morning is complete.