Mount Evans Scenic Byway

Definitely need to pay attention driving this road. Narrow with scenic views and drastic weather changes on top.

Mind blowing views along the entire drive and then opportunity to climb a little bit to the top is INCREDIBLE!

Drove this road up as far as Summit Lake this past fall (2016). The road was already closed for the season beyond here, although you could walk the rest of the way if you wanted to. Similar to the Pikes Peak road except it's paved!! Nice drive and will do it again some day when I can go all the way up.

epic

Beautiful

Incredibly long if you start from Eco lake. Took us 12 hours to complete. Only downside is the tourists at the top of the summit. Besides that amazing views lots of variety and lots of wildlife!

Incredible!
Best thing I've ever done without having to leave the car. Lots of wildlife: Elk, Mule Deer, Big Horn, Marmots, etc. It was in the 90s in Denver when we left, but it was 41 on top of the mountain. Make sure that you pack some clothes if you plan to get out of the car.

Really hard for a sea level kid like me haha. Amazing mountain, a must do. Being warm clothes for the downhill!!

no parking sign at base of trail.

The easiest way to "climb" a fourteener. Drive to the top and walk five minutes to the peak.

Leave early so you don't have to drive down in the dark and watch out for storms.

Spectacular views! It was kind of windy, but it was neat watching the thunderstorm approaching. Just made it from top to bottom in time before the afternoon Colorado thunderstorm arrived. Definitely something to check out if you plan to be in the area. We really enjoyed this, celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary. To top it off, we got to witness a proposal while we were at the top. Many people brought their own signs with the elevation written on it for their selfie or photo for Facebook.

This is an annual drive for my family. It's a rare event when you can take your kids to the top of a fourteener. The weather is typically always chilly this high up. Be prepared for windy conditions as well.

Once you've driven to the top you can take a short walk up to the summit and truly be on top of the world. Come early morning and late afternoon to see the Mountain Goats.

A large parking area and restrooms are located at the summit base.

I take this drive every summer. Make sure to stop at the wildflower garden/nature center. It's on the left after you pass the fee station after a few switchbacks. It's a lighter colored cabin looking building. The mt Goliath trail goes out the back. Good trail to get acclimated to elevation. By the way the $10 pass is good for 3 days. Be careful of the cyclists!

I drove this to Mount Evans on the afternoon of July 20. I've visited Idaho Springs and been on Hwy 103 several times, but never when the road to Mt. Evans was open. The fee was $10, but my National Parks Pass got us in free. The road is well maintained and was very busy. The elevation at the top parking lot is about 14,060, so it's only a short hike to reach to summit for even better views of the surrounding land. Both the views from the road going up and the top of the mountain are stunning. I would say you can easily see for 80 miles in any direction. We also saw about two dozen big horn sheep along the road and a dozen marmots skittering about the mountainside. I loved this and would highly recommend this short, panoramic jaunt to anybody!

Fantastic Views of Colorado.... more driving than hiking but the trails are in good condition and easy except the altitute sickness...wow!! We could definitely feel the thin air and we're from Colorado, so be careful if you are from sea level. This trail/drive is to one of colorado's 14ers and is absolutely breathtaking..... literally! Tons of beautiful wildflowers of all colors and some different vegitation never seen before. Its worth the $10 entry fee, great for kids and dogs. Hope you enjoy as much as we did.