Description
- The Mount Evans Scenic Byway is the highest paved road in North America. It begins in Idaho Springs as Colorado State Highway 103. As the road leads westward it follows Clear Creek toward it's source. Leaving the valley floor below the Mount Evans Highway climbs and winds its way to the summit of Mount Evans at 14,264 feet. The highway is 28 miles long and passes many sites for recreation opportunity. Echo Lake, Goliath Peak and Natural Area, Mt. Evans Wilderness and Clear Creek Canyon lie along the route and provide terrain for recreation pursuits of many types.
Recreation - The most obvious recreation opportunity on the Mount Evans Scenic Byway is scenic driving. (Despite the fact that this road is paved to the summit, it is a very difficult drive for large RVs.) The public lands of the Arapaho National Forest surround the lower sections of the road and provide access to hiking, fishing, camping, mountain biking and horseback riding. Climate - The Mount Evans Highway climbs more than 7,000 feet along its route to the summit. Temperatures will change dramatically from the roads beginning to its end. You can count on a four degree temperature drop for every 1,000 feet in elevation gained. Be prepared for cold temperatures on the summit. (You will not be overdressed in a hat and gloves in July and August.) Location -
This scenic byway is located in the mountainous north-central section of the state. It begins in Idaho Springs, which lies west of Denver on Interstate 70.
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