The Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway is the highest paved road in North America, climbing about 28 miles from Idaho Springs to a parking area at 14,130 feet, just below the summit of 14,264-foot Mount Blue Sky. In a single drive you rise more than 7,000 feet, passing from pine forest to tundra, past ancient bristlecone pines, mountain goats and alpine lakes.

From I-70 Exit 240 in Idaho Springs, Highway 103 follows Chicago Creek up to Echo Lake, where Colorado Highway 5 begins its climb toward the summit. Along the way you will find Mount Goliath, with a nature center and trails through Rocky Mountain bristlecone pines that can live for well over a thousand years, and Summit Lake Park, a Denver Mountain Park set in a glacial cirque at about 12,830 feet. The final miles switchback across bare rock with huge views of the Continental Divide, the Front Range and the plains. Watch for mountain goats, bighorn sheep and marmots near the road.

The mountain was renamed Mount Blue Sky in September 2023, honoring the Arapaho people, known as the Blue Sky People, and the Cheyenne renewal ceremony called Blue Sky. The highway is jointly managed by the U.S. Forest Service and CDOT, and vehicles longer than 30 feet are not allowed. In season, a timed-entry reservation from Recreation.gov is required to drive past the entrance station. Round out the trip in Idaho Springs with the Argo Mill and Tunnel or head up the valley to ride the Georgetown Loop Railroad.

Highway 5 above Echo Lake is closed to vehicles for the rest of 2026 after the upper road closed on Sept. 8 and the full corridor closed on Oct. 5. The byway typically reopens around Memorial Day weekend, and timed-entry tickets for 2027 will be posted on Recreation.gov. Check the Forest Service page for current conditions before you go.