DENVER (KDVR) — Are you ready to bag your first 14er all without even having to hike? You are in luck: Entry to the Mount Evans byway opens Friday.
The Mount Evans Scenic Byway allows those who are brave enough to drive up 7,000 feet along a 28-mile-long road before eventually reaching an altitude of 14,130 feet.
The byway is the highest paved road in North America and offers views of the Continental Divide along with wildlife and wildflowers that call the high elevation their home.
The Mount Evans Recreation Area is also the easiest way to accomplish your first 14er. Once you drive up to the area, it is only a short walk to the top.
So, if you are ready to cross a 14er off your bucket list this summer, be sure to purchase a reservation.
How to buy tickets
Beginning May 26 at 8 a.m., reservations are required to drive up the byway. Tickets must be purchased on Recreation.gov, they will not be available at the Mount Evans Welcome Station.
Cell phone service is not reliable in the area, so be sure to purchase your ticket before leaving your home and print it out.
Tickets will be for a 2-hour reservation window, and rangers ask that you arrive as close to your time as possible. Once you have entered, you can stay the entire day. But remember to watch out for changes in the weather.
Visitors are only allowed to have up to one vehicle per day for one-time slot. The reservation holder must also be in the car at the time of entry.
Tickets start at $15.
Road is open weather permitting
Conditions can change quickly and drastically when you climb that high in elevation. Rangers are reminding drivers that the road can close any day throughout the summer due to winter-like conditions.