Mount Evans Scenic Byway is a 27.1 mile point-to-point trail located near Idaho Springs, Colorado that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for road biking and scenic driving and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail.
dog friendly
road biking
scenic driving
lake
Went on a Sunday in mid April. Snow covered trail the entire way, but still doable in tennis shoes. Just be careful. Had 4 kids... 8, 7, 5, 2 (carried her). Easy without the snow, tricky with snow but still very enjoyable. Close to Denver and can hike morning or afternoon.
Beautiful drive, gorgeous views, and lots of wildlife!
This is a beautiful drive in the fall.
Sick views
This drive was the most beautiful, exhilarating experience! Saw lots of big horn sheep and marmot. The leaves were changing, making the views even more incredible. We hiked a bit around summit lake and on the Mt. Goliath trail. Be prepared for 50 + mph winds and cold temps at the top!
Beautiful scenery, but scary drive. It felt and looked like the roads were about 1 3/4 lanes. They were crumbling away on some of the edges. It was pretty a pretty exhilarating drive for sure. Long horn sheep, lots of flowers, beautiful scenery. Quite a temperature drop from bottom to top so bring a jacket. You will want to walk around once you reach the top the summit is 14,264 ft.
Caleb D.
One of the most amazing views I've ever seen in my life! The last bit you have to climb up around 200 feet of easy climbing to get to the very top. The altitude may keep you from running to the top. Absolutely gorgeous!
Beautiful views but pretty scary drive. Saw lots of wild life: marmots, bighorn sheep, mountain goats who had quite a few babies with them. Lots of people at the top even though it was a Tuesday
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.