Last Updated on: 5th May 2025, 08:36 am
Within easy driving distance of Denver is America’s highest paved road: the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway. The parking lot at the summit stands at over 14,000 ft above sea level, while the thrilling journey there lacks any guardrails whatsoever.
When planning a trip to the top of Mount Blue Sky (formerly known as Mount Evans), there are a couple of key things you should know: it gets very cold at the top, so bringing warm clothing is a must. You should also be prepared for altitude sickness, which you may already start feeling from fairly early on in the journey.
Special medication, or simply taking frequent breaks and drinking plenty of water, can help with this.
While lacking guardrails, the road is entirely paved and no special vehicle is required to drive the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway. But if the journey described below sounds too nerve-wracking, you could always take a tour.
The nearest town to the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway is Idaho Springs. And once you make it to the official entrance, expect the roundtrip journey to take you around 2-3 hours.
Also bear in mind that a reservation is required to access the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, which you can learn more about here. With that said, by the time you read this, the entire Scenic Byway will be closed and will remain closed for renovations throughout all of 2025.
For more information on where to stay in the area, be sure to check the end of the article.
Experiencing the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway
As mentioned above, the nearest town to the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway entrance is Idaho Springs, which is roughly 30-40 minutes from western Denver.
It’s a charming mining town that’s well worth a stop. But it would be better to save it for the return trip, as you’ll want to get to the summit fairly early to beat the crowds.
After driving up the windy Highway 103 for a while, you’ll pass by Echo Lake, right after which is the official entrance to Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway. Be sure to save your reservation on your phone in advance!
The Reservation System
As mentioned, the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway will be closed throughout 2025, and many things could change by the time it reopens. Nevertheless, I’ll briefly summarize the reservation system that I experienced.
Reservations for accessing the byway can be made here. If you’re visiting during a busy month – and especially on a weekend – it would be wise to secure them well in advance if you can.
At the time of my visit, reservations were valid for a period of three consecutive days, which allowed for some flexibility in case of weather.
For whatever reason, it’s also possible to buy tickets that are just valid for Mount Goliath or Summit Lake which you’ll encounter on the way up. But I imagine that nearly all visitors are purchasing tickets for the entire Scenic Byway.
Note that if you have an annual America The Beautiful parks pass, you can simply pay $2 for your reservation. Otherwise, expect to pay an additional $15 or so. For what it’s worth, I was only asked to show my reservation QR Code at the entrance, and was not asked to show my park pass upon arrival.
Mount Goliath
The first main stop on the Scenic Byway is Mount Goliath. While not the most scenic part of the drive, it’s worth stopping here for a couple of reasons.
In my case, I visited Mount Blue Sky before my trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and was not yet acclimated to the higher elevations. Mount Goliath stands at 12,216 ft above sea level, and you may already be feeling the effects of the elevation here.
If you are, it would be wise to take a quick break here, while you’ll also find some restrooms.
The Mount Goliath stop is also home to the small Dos Chappell Nature Center, next to which is a small network of trails. This location is right around the tree line, where evergreen forest transitions to alpine tundra.
And even in summer, you’ll quickly notice how quickly chilly the weather gets up here. And it will be even colder atop Mount Blue Sky, so plan accordingly.
Further Along The Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway
After a quick rest, I decided it was time to continue on with the journey. From here the views became much clearer, including some great views of Echo Lakes down below.
Over the course of just 28 miles (45 km), the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway has an elevation gain of over 7,000 ft (2130 m). And in contrast to Pikes Peak, there’s no option to take a tram to the top.
The drive is nerve-wracking enough without much traffic. And it would be wise to depart from Denver (or wherever you’re staying) as early as possible. In my case, we left around 7:00, which I feel turned out to be a good idea.
The Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway doesn’t have many official pullovers, though this may change by the time the renovations are complete.
But about halfway through the journey, I did encounter a small gravel parking area and took advantage of it for a break. While I didn’t encounter any potholes, a closer look at the road revealed that a thorough repair is indeed necessary before things get worse.
Shortly before the final ascent is Summit Lake, which is indeed worth a stop. However, as parking is limited at the top of Mount Blue Sky, most people will probably want to save the lake for the return trip, which is what I did. Learn more below.
It’s worth mentioning that I made the journey on a Sunday morning, so you might not have as many parking issues to deal with if you visit on a weekday.
Shortly past the lake, the top of the mountain comes into view. And it’s here that the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway gets a lot more intense, with the journey taking visitors across a series of sharp switchbacks.
As you’ll notice from the photos, there are no guardrails whatsoever along the Scenic Byway, so it’s extremely important to be careful. And you never quite know when another car will appear from around the corner, so always expect the unexpected.
One of the most confusing things about planning for Mount Blue Sky is that for many years, it went by a different name. It was previously known as Mount Evans after the former territorial governor of Colorado, John Evans.
Considering how he was involved with the Sand Creek massacre of 1864, which saw the killing of numerous Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians, native groups demanded that the mountain’s name be changed. And the change only became official in 2023.
As for the name Mount Blue Sky? The Arapaho people were known as the Blue Sky People, while the Cheyenne Indians also carry out an annual ceremony called Blue Sky.
As you get closer to the top, expect to see one of Mount Blue Sky’s famous inhabitants: the mountain goat.
Known for their impeccable climbing abilities, these friendly-looking animals prefer life at higher elevations. But as cute as they look, as with any wild animal, you’ll want to allow them plenty of personal space.
As we’ll cover shortly, you may also encounter more mountain goats at the summit parking lot.
Despite there not being a terrible amount of traffic when driving up the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, I was surprised to see a line of cars waiting to park.
Fortunately, we did end up finding a space upon our arrival. But had we arrived an hour or so later, I imagine the whole lot would’ve been full.
And what if you do find the parking lot full? While I’m not totally sure, I imagine that you’d just need to wait for others to leave. Considering how cold and windy it is at the top, most people probably don’t linger here for very long.
In addition to a herd of mountain goats, I was rather surprised by how many dogs there were atop the mountain – not stray, but brought by visitors. I don’t see how this is good for either the pets or other visitors, but at the time of writing, there doesn’t seem to be a rule against it.
A short distance from the parking area is the Castle in the Sky, designed by architect Edwin Francis between 1939-1941. At the time, it was considered the highest structure in the world, though it was largely destroyed by a propane explosion in 1979.
It now serves as an observation platform. And speaking of views, from various points of the parking lot, visitors can see landmarks like Pikes Peak, Mt. Holy Cross, Mt. Bierstadt, and various other mountain ranges.
The summit parking lot, however, is not the highest that you can go. To reach the true summit of Mount Blue Sky, you’ll have to do a bit of hiking up a rocky trail full of switchbacks.
While not terribly tiring, it was still a bit longer than I expected. And if you’re not yet acclimated to these elevations, it could feel a lot steeper than it really is.
But before too long, you’ll find yourself atop the 14,271-foot (4,350 m) mountain peak.
The incredible views from the top are well worth the effort. You’ll be able to enjoy 360-degree views while looking down at landmarks such as Summit Lake.
Note that there’s no flat surface or any manmade viewing platform at the very top of the mountain, so you’ll have to find some rocks to sit or lean on. And as is the case with the entire Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, don’t expect any protective rails, either.
Even with multiple layers on, I quickly grew tired of the cold and wind, and decided to begin the descent. The way down is just as thrilling as the way up. But as a favor to other drivers making their ascent, be sure to drive the speed limit.
If you’re lucky, you might even spot some additional wildlife, such as bighorn sheep.
Summit Lake
As mentioned earlier, I decided to skip Summit Lake on the way up, but made a stop here during the return journey. The parking lot was almost entirely full, but we barely managed to find an open spot.
Originally, I was wondering if stopping here would be worth the hassle, as I’d already seen the lake from the road – not to mention from the top of the mountain.
But as I’d soon learn, in addition to Summit Lake itself, a short trail leads to the stunning Chicago Lakes overlook. This turned out to be one of the most impressive views of the entire journey and shouldn’t be missed.
Idaho Springs
On the way back, the charming town of Idaho Springs is the perfect place to stop for lunch. The former mining town is still home to the Argo Gold Mine and Mill, though I had no energy for a tour at this point in the day.
At just thirty minutes or so from Denver, the town can get quite crowded on weekends. But you’ll find plenty of restaurants and gift shops to choose from, while it’s also worth a quick walk to admire its historical architecture.
Additional Info
If the drive described above sounds a bit too daunting, or if you’d rather just focus on the views instead of being behind the wheel, consider taking a tour.
This highly-rated tour, for example, can take you all the way to the summit of Mount Blue Sky from central Denver.
As mentioned above, driving the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway can easily be done as a day trip from Denver. I was staying at La Quinta Inn in the southwestern suburb of Lakewood, which gave me a bit of a head start for the journey. All in all, I had no problems with the hotel.
Another reason I chose that particular place was that it was one of the few hotels that didn’t have multiple reviews complaining of strange individuals loitering in the hallways and parking lots.
I’m far from an expert on Denver, but whichever place you choose, I would carefully read the reviews, as Denver seems to be going through a rough time at the moment.
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