
The Mount Evans Scenic Byway approaching the summit
The 'Mount Evans Scenic Byway' begins at the junction of
Interstate 70 and
Colorado State Highway 103 near
Idaho Springs,
Colorado and continues on
Colorado State Highway 5 through the
Mount Evans Wilderness Area where it ends near the summit of
Mount Evans. The byway is 28 miles in length and gains over 7,000 feet of altitude. Achieving a final altitude of 14,130 feet, this is the highest paved
road in
North America.
There is a park fee charged to gain access to the upper portion of the byway at the entrance to Highway 5. This portion of the byway is often narrow, with sudden dropoffs that have no guardrails. It is typically only accessible from
Memorial Day weekend through
Labor Day, although the amount of access and specific dates vary depending on the weather and road conditions.
This route was designated a National Forest Byway on
July 1,
1993 by the
US Forest Service and has also been designated a
Colorado Scenic Byway by the
Colorado Department of Transportation.
See also
★
Echo Lake Park
★
Summit Lake Park
External links
★
Mount Evans Scenic Byway (byways.org)
★
Colorado Scenic Byways - Mount Evans
★
MountEvans.com Scenic Byway