Mountains

The road up Mount Blue Sky may need a reservation

Outdoors and wildfire Clear Creek County mount blue sky scenic byway timed entry national forest

The paved road that climbs from near Idaho Springs to the top of Mount Blue Sky is one of the most striking drives in Colorado. It is also not a place you can just show up and drive any day in summer.

During the busy season, the Forest Service uses a timed-entry reservation system for the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area and its scenic byway. That means you reserve a window ahead of time rather than arriving and hoping. The goal is to cut down on crowding and long waits at the entrance.

A few things worth knowing. The mountain was renamed Mount Blue Sky, so older maps and signs may still say Mount Evans. The road climbs to very high elevation, where weather changes fast and snow can close the route well outside winter. Cell service is limited, so it helps to download or print a reservation before you leave town.

Reservation systems and seasons change from year to year, so what a friend did last summer is not a reliable guide. The current details are worth confirming before you go.

For the byway’s reservation rules and season, see the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and the official reservation page.

Sources

Official or primary sources used for this note. Local details can change, so confirm before acting.

Reviewed: June 11, 2026 U.S. Forest Service recreation.gov

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