CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. — Citing the large crowds that often come to enjoy the highway to the top of Mount Evans, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced Wednesday that it will not open until at least July.
Dubbed the highest paved road in North America, the Mount Evans Highway attracts more than 200,000 people from all over the world when it opens during the summer. In a news release, CDOT said thousands of vehicles pass through fee stations on weekends, and visitors gather at the summit and use the facilities there in large numbers.
“CDOT, the Forest Service and Denver Mountain Parks and carefully considering the economic feasibility of operating an abbreviated season on Mount Evans while mitigating health and safety risks in alignment with federal, state and local guidance,” the news release from CDOT says.
>>> Watch the video above to see a group ski Mount Evans.
Under Colorado’s safer-at-home order, residents are ordered not to travel more than 10 miles away from their homes for recreation. This is aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 between communities.
CDOT crews typically begin plowing the highway from Echo Lake to the summit of Mount Evans during the spring. The road usually closes over Labor Day weekend.
At 14,264 feet, Mount Evans is one of the most visible peaks seen along the Front Range. It and Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs are the only two Colorado 14ers with roads to the top.
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