Mount Evans Scenic Byway
Colorado Scenic Byway 27 mi in Colorado.
About the Mount Evans Scenic Byway
The Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) Scenic Byway climbs more than 7,000 feet in just 28 miles, reaching an altitude of 14,130 feet. At the summit you'll enjoy the big picture - the entire Front Range sprawls at your feet - but don't overlook the details. This highest of Rocky Mountain highs brings you to the rarefied world above timberline, a singular amalgam of hardy wildflowers, lichens and grasses, furry mammals like pikas and marmots, rock-jumping mountain goats, and alpine lakes. This is perhaps the best place in Colorado to catch a glimpse of the stately bighorn sheep. The weather is volatile - be prepared for wind, rain, lightning, snow, and hail any day of the year. The eastern portion of the byway travels from Echo Lake to Bergen Park via Clear Creek County Road 103 and Jefferson County Road 66. The route takes the visitor from open ponderosa and juniper hills and open meadows, up through deep spruce forests and into the magnificent splendor of the alpine environment.
NOTE: The road from Echo Lake Lodge to the top of Mount Blue Sky is scheduled to open on the 2026 Memorial Day weekend, pending weather and any unforeseen circumstances, and reservations are needed. Road construction was completed in 2025. The Mount Blue Sky Scenic and Historic Byway is open from Idaho Springs to the Evergreen Parkway.
Reservations are required for vehicle entry at Mount Blue Sky. Go to recreation.gov to create an account and purchase your ticket.
Colorado Department of Transportation's own description, in its words. Byway page on codot.gov.
Designations: Colorado State Scenic Byway, National Forest Scenic Byway.
Camping along the byway
- Mile 5 · 4.1 mi offGuanella Pass · Forest Service · 18 sites · reservable
- Mile 14 · on the roadEcho Lake · Forest Service · 18 sites · reservable
- Mile 19 · 2.2 mi offWest Chicago Creek · Forest Service · 16 sites · reservable
- Mile 27 · 4.3 mi offMestaa’ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout · Forest Service · 1 sites · reservable
Public campgrounds within 5 miles of the road as the crow flies, in order along the byway; each one's page has its facts, season and weather by month.
About this page's facts
The line is the Federal Highway Administration's scenic byways layer (HEPGIS, a snapshot of 2022-06-24, a US government work), cut at the state line and simplified for the map; the length is the line's. The designation is the program's own: the national tiers from FHWA's America's Byways roster, the rest from the layer's designation field. Road conditions, closures and seasonal gates change: check the agency's own page and the state's road conditions before you go.