Mount Evans Recreation Area
Map of Mount Evans Highway
(Click image to open new window to view larger map)
The Mount Evans Highway (also known as State Highway 5) is located within both the Arapaho-Roosevelt and Pike National Forests, and is bordered on either side by the Mount Evans Wilderness. Along this mountainous highway, the Mount Goliath Research Natural Area has a 16-space paved parking lot, Summit Lake has a 45-space dirt parking area, and the Mount Evans summit area has a 38-space paved parking lot. (Map courtesy of Central Federal Lands Highway)
Mount Evans Recreation Area (MERA) is located approximately 70 miles southwest of the Denver Metropolitan area, and 28 miles southwest of Idaho Springs, CO. Primary access to MERA is from I-70 via the Idaho Springs exit and Colorado Highway 103 to the intersection of Colorado Highway 5/Mount Evans Highway. The MERA Welcome Station is situated at the base of the Mount Evans Highway, which travels from the MERA Welcome Station 14 miles to the summit of Mount Evans. The summit of Mount Evans is 14,264 feet in elevation, making the Mount Evans Highway the highest elevation paved road in North America. The entire route from Idaho Springs to the summit of Mount Evans is designated as the Mount Evans Scenic and Historic Byway.
The Mount Evans Highway is within both the ARNF and Pike National Forest (PNF), and is bordered on either side by the Mount Evans Wilderness Area. The Mount Evans Highway is open seasonally, roughly between Memorial Day and the first weekend in October, depending on weather and road conditions, although the road beyond Summit Lake is closed on the Tuesday after Labor Day. The roadway is deteriorating; sloughing and frost heaves pose safety hazards to motorists and bicyclists alike. Visitor use in MERA is concentrated within three main recreation areas along the Mount Evans Highway, including: 1) Mount Goliath Research Natural Area; 2) Summit Lake Park, National Natural Landmark; and 3) Mount Evans summit area.
Visitation to MERA has been relatively steady, or slightly increasing since the early 2000s, and presently averages around 120,000 visitors per year. With visitor use concentrated in a short season, there are a number of transportation, recreation, and resource management-related issues, which are described below.
Management Goals
The USFS developed a Revised Land and Resource Management Plan for ARNF in 1997 (Forest Plan), which identifies the following goals and objectives for MERA. These goals and objectives will be used in this project to help evaluate potential alternative transportation strategies for MERA.
| Provide opportunities for recreational use of the area while protecting the alpine ecosystems and the integrity of the Wilderness area. |
| Provide for recreational and educational use of the Mount Evans corridor, emphasizing viewing scenery and wildlife, environmental education, and interpretation. |
| Concentrate most use of the area within the Byway corridor. |
| Reduce traffic congestion, improve safety, and provide interpretive services on the Byway through the use of shuttles or similar strategies. |
| Identify limits of acceptable change to the environment and manage the area to stay within these limits. |
| Accommodate recreational use along the trail corridors in which upper limits of use are based on environmental effects with less emphasis on social factors. |
Transportation, Recreation, and Resource Management Issues
Transportation and visitor use data were collected at MERA during summer 2013 as part of this project, and identified the following key issues.
| During busy summer days, parking shortages are severe and gridlock occurs on the road while visitors wait for places to park. |
| Unendorsed roadside parking occurs during busy summer days and causes impacts to public safety and forest resources. |
| Conflict and traffic safety hazards exist between cyclists and motorists on the narrow, steep road. |
| High visitor densities and crowding occur on the Mount Evans summit and at other popular destinations within the Wilderness. |
| During busy summer day, traffic congestion occurs at the Welcome Station, causing visitor frustration; at times this traffic backs up onto Highway 103, which creates traffic safety hazards. |
| Deteriorating roadway conditions cause concerns about driver safety and cost of maintenance. |
| There is little or no advanced traveler information about traffic and parking conditions at MERA for visitors to plan their trip. |
Potential Alternative Transportation Strategies
The following is an initial list of ideas about potential alternative transportation strategies that could help improve transportation, recreation, and resource management under certain circumstances and in certain combinations at MERA.
| Congestion pricing during peak periods |
| Dedicated parking and traffic management staff |
| Expand parking |
| Hiking access only (if road condition deteriorates) |
| Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for congestion management |
| Shuttle service on Mt. Evans Highway |
| Tramway (if road condition deteriorates) |
| Permit system for access to Mount Evans Wilderness |
Background Documents
To obtain a copy of any document listed below that is not available online, please email the project manager, Melissa Bordewin, at Melissa.Bordewin@dot.gov.
Wilderness use and visitor crowding
Most of the trails accessible along the Mount Evans Highway are located within the congressionally designated Mount Evans Wilderness. The summit of Mount Evans and the Mount Evans Wilderness is only a quarter-mile hike from a designated parking lot, and is a popular destination for visitors and residents alike. Consequently, visitor crowding occurs there during peak periods. (Photo courtesy of RSG)
- Mount Evans Recreation Enhancement Project: Business Plan (USFS, 2007)
To address the passage of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act in 2004, the Clear Creek Ranger District describes their strategy for continued requirement of a standard amenity fee in this recreation area. - 2030 Mountains and Plains Transportation Plan (DRCOG, 2005)
This plan outlines the preferred transportation facility and service improvements, with and without financial constraints, recommended by the Denver Regional Council of Governments. - Mount Evans Scenic and Historic Byway Corridor Management Plan (Clear Creek County Tourism Board & Community Matters, Inc., 2000)
Clear Creek County, with the assistance of the Colorado Department of Transportation and other partners, prepared this management plan to enhance the interpretation and preservation of Mount Evans. - 1997 Revision of the Land and Resource Management Plan: Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland, a.k.a. the Forest Plan (USFS, 1997)
The Forest Plan serves as the main guidance for all resource management activities on the Forest and provides direction for each Geographic Area on the Forest. - Analysis of the Feasibility of the Shuttle System (Lewin, Brust, Gulas, Ohmart, & Velarde, 1993)
This report documents the issues and implications of implementing a shuttle service at Mount Evans. After examining recreational carrying capacity, the Forest can decide whether or not a shuttle service aligns with their environmental and visitor experience goals. - Technical Memo 3.2. Summary of Data Findings – Mount Evans Recreation Area, Summer 2012 (RSG 2013)
During summer 2012, USFS conducted a field study at MERA to collect transportation and visitor use data during the area's peak summer visitation period. This memo provides a summary of the data collection effort and analysis results. - Technical Memo 3.4. Summary of Data Findings – Ecological Condition Assessment Mount Evans and Guanella Pass (RSG/USU, 2013)
During summer 2012, USFS conducted a field study at GP and MERA to measure and map recreation-related resource impacts. This memo provides a summary of the field study and results. - Technical Memo 3.8. Summary of Methods and Results – Mt. Evans Visitor Surveys, Summer 2014 (RSG, 2015)
During the summer of 2014, the USFS conducted a visitor survey at Mt. Evans Recreation Area to gauge visitor perception and expectations relative to transportation services, recreation opportunities, and visitor experience quality in the Mount Evans Recreation Area and at the Mt. Evans summit. This memo provides a summary of the survey methods and survey results.