The United States has no shortage of stunning drives and incredible road trips. Colorado alone has over 20 scenic highways! Colorado is also home to the highest paved road on the continent, Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway. Only 60 miles from Denver, this gorgeous day trip drive takes you to the summit of 14,265-foot Mt Blue Sky. Here is your guide to driving the highest paved road in North America.
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The Details
The Mt. Blue Sky Scenic Byway is located about 60 miles west of Denver. Due to this proximity, it makes for a wonderful day trip drive in the summer & fall. Covered in snow during the winter, the entire road is only accessible from Memorial Day through Labor Day. From Labor Day to mid October, while you can’t drive to the top, you can still drive to the beautiful Summit Lake Area.
Before visiting, you must make a timed entry reservation at Recreation.gov. Tickets are sold beforehand to limit the amount of visitors and damage to the natural environment. Make sure to plan accordingly – fill up your gas, have snacks or food, and also bring warm clothes. At high elevations like these, the weather will be much colder and can change very unexpectedly!
The Drive
The drive starts near Echo Lake, which is also where the Mount Blue Sky Welcome Station is located. Near the visitor center, you’ll find a great 1.5 mile trail that goes around Echo Lake. This small hike takes roughly 30 minutes to complete. In addition, you can stop at the Echo Lake Lodge, a lovely place to rest before or after your drive.
After Echo Lake, drive on to your next stop at Mount Goliath. Here, you’ll find a fascinating nature center with information about the mountain tundra environment. Behind the nature center is a short, but impressive trail that winds around several bristlecone pine trees. Many of these magnificent trees are over 2000 years old!
After visiting the nature center, your next stop is the beautiful Summit Lake. After Labor Day, this is the furthest you can drive. If you’d rather hike than drive to the top of Mt Blue Sky, this is where you will park.
- The roughly 5.2 mile trail to the summit is not easy nor for the faint hearted. However, this is, without a doubt, one of the most breathtaking hikes in Colorado.
If you don’t want to hike, it’s only a short drive to the summit at 14,265 feet. As you drive up this final stretch, keep an eye out for the bighorn sheep and mountain goats that live here.
Final Ascent
If the road to the summit is open, the next stretch will be your final ascent to the summit of Mount Blue Sky. It can get busy at the top during peak times, so plan your journey to enjoy all of the stops rather than just the final destination! Undoubtedly, this is one of the most beautiful views in Colorado, so take the time to appreciate it.
We hope you enjoyed this guide to driving the highest paved road in North America. As always, please leave us a comment if you have any questions! For more Colorado travel tips, check out our page here!
Jonathan, Caroline and Queso