Welcome To The Top
The scenic drive to the Summit of Mount Evans is one of the most “Colorado” experiences one can have. Starting in Idaho Springs west of Denver, the 28-mile road rises past Echo Lake at mile 14 and Summit Lake at mile 23, to the summit parking lot, marking the end of the highest-elevation paved road in North America. There is a high probability of seeing the resident mountain goats and bighorn sheep on the way up. The sheer drop-offs on one side of the road are breathtaking, with spectacular views of other “fourteeners” — Mount Bierstadt and Gray’s and Torreys Peaks — to the west. The road was closed all last year due to the pandemic. This year a timed-entry reservation is required, and can be obtained online at recreation.gov. A little secret: if you arrive at the ranger station at Echo Lake Lodge before 8 a.m. or after 6:30 p.m., no reservation is required. Photos by Reid Neureiter