Mount Evans Highway opens for season
Mount Evans Highway — or Colorado 5 — reopened for the season on Friday morning.
The 15-mile highway begins at Echo Lake Lodge and climbs to the mountain’s summit at over 14,200 feet. The road is the highest paved road in North America, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
CDOT crews spent the last month clearing snow along the highway to prepare for its reopening.
Officials are reminding visitors that the Forest Service requires motorists to have a reservation to drive to the summit of Mount Evans.
Reservations can be made online at Recreation.gov between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
After more than a year of public debate on the topic, Clear Creek County officials in March selected a new name to replace Mount Evans. Officials picked Mount Blue Sky, which was submitted by Southern Cheyenne and Arapahoe tribes.
With county officials giving their endorsement for a moniker for the 14,264-foot peak, the decision goes to Gov. Jared Polis’ office and then to the federal government. It is likely the change will ultimately push through.
The Mount Evans name comes from Colorado Territory Gov. John Evans, who was rebuked for his role in the Sand Creek Massacre and his brutal treatment of Native Americans.
Mount Evans Highway — or Colorado 5 — reopened for the season on Friday morning, June 10, 2022.