Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests
Pawnee National Grassland

Mount Evans Recreation Area

Mount Evans Road Status:

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has closed the the Mount Evans Road for the season.

Mount Evans Recreation Area

The Clear Creek Ranger District invites you to drive the highest road in North America! The Mount Evans Road, Colorado Highway 5, allows you to drive from 10,500 to 14,230 feet above sea level in just 14 miles. At such a high altitude, Colorado's Front Range sprawls out at your feet. This drive offers visitors scenic views of the Continental Divide, mountain goat and bighorn sheep herds, wildflowers, and Bristlecone Pine trees.

Fees and Regulations

There is an amenity fee to visit the Mount Evans Recreation Area. The fees help support visitor services, facility operations and interpretive programs.

Dos Chappell Nature Center

Only three miles up the Mount Evans Road is the Dos Chappell Nature Center, your first major point of interest. The nature center has exhibits that interpret the adaptations of plants and animals living in sub-alpine and alpine environments. Outside you will find Bristlecone Pine trees 900 to 2,000 year old and an alpine garden. This center is a cooperative effort with the Denver Botanic Gardens and the U.S. Forest Service who staff the building and are available to answer many questions.

Summit Lake Park

As you continue your ascent up Mount Evans, just before mile marker 10 is Summit Lake Park and your next major point of interest. Here you will find awe inspiring views of a landscape carved out by ancient glaciers over thousands of years.

The Top

The Top awaits you at the end of this 14 mile road. Spectacular views of the Continental Divide, the possibility of seeing mountain goats and Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, the ruins of a historic restaurant and the opportunity to hike a short distance to the summit of Mount Evans are just a few attractions at The Top.

Ranger Led Activities

We invite you to join one of our daily Forest Ranger led walks/talks on Mount Evans this season (click on the above link for schedule). Topics include: Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goats, Mount Evans History, Tundra Ecology, Bristlecone Pine and Mountain Wildlife. Programs vary in length from 30 - 45 minutes. See ya' on the mountain!

Come Prepared

Conditions can change quickly and drastically on this byway. Regardless of the weather conditions at the road's base, come prepared for any of the following: intense sunlight, cold temperatures, snow, hail or rain, extreme wind and low oxygen levels. Every 1,000 feet gained in elevation is equivalent to traveling 600 miles north in latitude. Driving to the top of the Mount Evans Road is similar to driving to Alaska in two hours. Check the road conditions with Colorado Department of Transportation to make sure the road is open before beginning your trip. The road can close any day throughout the summer due to abrupt winter conditions.

Directions:

• From I-70: Take exit 240 in Idaho Springs. Follow Highway 103 south until it meets Echo Lake. Take Highway 5 to the top of Mount Evans.
• From Bergen Park: Take Squaw Pass Road/Highway 103 west and travel to Echo Lake. Take Highway 5 to the top of Mount Evans.
  

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Contact Us

USDA Forest Service, Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests, Pawnee National Grassland
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Last modified September 24, 2009