A handful of Coloradans would like to make the U.S. Forest Service pay for flagrantly flouting the law that regulates what fees can be charged on public land. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-40889974', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');car, and driving back, you should pay the fee. To review the Tripadvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html. Driving up Mount Evans should be free. And the fee pays for the nice visitor center and bathrooms halfway up, plus other things. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. ", In January 2009, a Forest Service program manager advised that "at undeveloped sites, occupied parked vehicles or unoccupied parked vehicles where the occupants are in close proximity to the vehicle are...not subject to the recreation fee at that location.". "The Clear Creek Ranger District invites you to drive the highest road in North America!" ", The drive is such a stunner that Rich Grant, the communications director for Visit Denver, thinks the city is missing a bet by not promoting Mount Evans more. Stop at the Visitor Center for information, then continue on Miner Street to 13th Avenue which is State Highway 103 and continues on State Highway 5 through a corridor between the Mount Evans Wilderness where it ends near the summit of Mount Evans. For the latest information about the road visit [this website]” (Forest Service - Mount Evans). We use cookies to collect and analyze information on site performance and usage, and to enhance and customize content and advertisements. Download all free or royalty-free photos and vectors. The road was paved in the '30s, and a small restaurant, the Crest House, was built at the top in the '40s. Winter Itinerary for Central Rockies - Our Extra Days ?? Contact Us, A vehicle descended from Mount Evans on Colorado Highway 5. Save. "As long as you drive to the top and back without stopping, you don't need to pay," repeats Bustos, the only Forest Service official authorized to talk about the case. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. It would have been clearer still if the sign had not been placed a good fifty feet beyond the information booth, which blocks the view of the sign. Evans has a road that takes you to a trail just a few hundred feet shy of the summit where you are likely to see both Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goats. The road is closed in winter and there is a fee to drive up the road. Denver was not to be overshadowed by its southern neighbor. Vehicles over 30' long are not recommended on Highway 5 (Mount Evans road) due to the steep, narrow, winding road. Pay the Recreation Standard Amenity Fee at the fee booth and continue up the mountain several miles until you see the Dos Chappell Nature Center on your left (at a switchback in the road). This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. In Winter do I need a 4 Wheel Drive Vehicle in Colorado? Ten years later, the road was completed. Take Exit 241 off Interstate 70 for 1 mile. Looking for All Inclusive Family Friendly Ski Resort, Itinerary ideas for Colorado vacation in July 2011, Winter Park, Breckenridge, or Vail for March 2013 ski trip, Best Western Plus Deer Park Hotel & Suites. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one. The Mount Evans climb passes the 4,000 meter level and is therewith the highest paved road in the United Stats. "A fee-sharing agreement pertaining to Summit Lake Park and entered into on June 8, 2007 between the City and County of Denver and the Forest Service provides that the Forest Service will be responsible for enforcement of their own laws and regulations on lands for which they have jurisdiction," notes one of the filings in the case. I forget that the "peak" is another 1/4 mile from the parking lot, so I guess I will definitely be using that amenity. Evans, especially since you have the National Parks Pass through May. Avoid visiting Mount Evans over the weekend. "But everything is wilderness outside the perimeter of the highway." Officials say Colorado's Mount Evans Highway will remain closed to vehicles for the summer as a result of health and safety concerns and economic difficulties related to the coronavirus. Evans Colorado-2 Mount Evans Road Elevation 14,130 feet. The prominent 14,271-foot (4,350 m) fourteener is located 13.4 miles (21.6 km) southwest by south (bearing 214°) of Idaho Springs in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States, on the drainage divide between Arapaho National Forest and Pike National Forest. Climbing Mt. Can you please describe the San Juan Skyway/Million $ Hwy/Red Mtn. For information, call the USFS Park Ranger at the Idaho Springs Visitor Center at 303-567-4382. it chirps. "This drive offers visitors scenic views of the Continental Divide, mountain goat and bighorn sheep herds, wildflowers and Bristlecone Pine trees.". Although it burned down in 1979, the stone foundation has become a viewing platform — where you "can see for miles. Mount Evans is one of Colorado’s Front Range Fourteeners, and like Pikes Peak, Mt. Construction of the road from Echo Lake to the summit began in 1924 and completed in 1930. Basically, if you leave the roadway for any reason, you need to pay the fee. I pictured a plateau and even thought that perhaps the road continued down the other side. "The agreement further states that the Forest Service will not issue notices on behalf of Denver. Evans ($10) unless you have a National Parks Pass. The Cascade and Pikes Peak Toll Road Company took on the major task of building a road to the top of Pikes Peak. Staff, Carry a coat and a hat along. It would have clarified things had the sign instead said "Only vehicles that park must display a valid recreation pass." The thing is that I have a national parks annual pass, but it expires the end of this month...and my current plan is to drive up Mt. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Denver with no paywalls. Passing through Echo Lake Park, have a bite to eat at the Echo Lake Lodge. The "Road to the Stars" is the highest paved road in North America. Still, the fee was just $10, and "Who wants to fight government, especially over $10?" Can you tell me about guest ranch vacations in Colorado? So you can just sit in your car. After studying the subject for a year, he got a break in February 2008, when he found the Forest Service plans for a toilet at "the Mount Evans overlook" — and overlooks are specifically exempt from fees by the FLREA. Or at least park. "As long as you drive to the top and back without stopping, you don't need to pay," he repeats. Shaking down citizens was not what Mayor Robert Speer had in mind when he proposed that a road be built up Mount Evans, just thirty miles from Denver, back in 1910. Related: What are the most popular tours in Colorado? for persons who are driving through, walking through, boating through, horseback riding through, or hiking through Federal recreational lands and waters without using the facilities and services. Mount Evans is the highest peak in the namesake Mount Evans Wilderness in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. A regular visitor to Mount Evans and an active member of the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition (www.westernslopenofee.org) since 2001, he thought the confusing signage and inconsistent staff instructions were just the start of a mountainous injustice at Mount Evans. At a glance, there is an "entrance fee" to drive up to the top of (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? So why do so many pay a fee? The highest paved road in North America, this byway rises more than 7,000 feet from the town of Idaho Springs to the summit of Mount Evans, one of Colorado's highest peaks at 14,264 feet above sea level. Forest Service staffers regularly hand out "compliance envelopes" to cars parked all along the road, asking their drivers to pay on the way out. I always get caught wanting to go somewhere about 2 days after mine expires as well - it's quite irritating. Done. Remember that this law is very focused on developed sites and special services...Keep in mind that if someone stops along the way to have a picnic, there is no fee." Discover Rocky Mountain National Park from Denver or Boulder, http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html, Vail Grand Hyatt vs Breck Hyatt Residence Club, 1st vacation with couple sightseeing the West, Sledding Conditions Currently Poor in RMNP. The situation is the roadway itself is owned by the City of Denver, but the surrounding land is National Forest. This paper also threatens a $25 fine and legal action if the owner of the vehicle does not pay the fee. But visitors complained that the Forest Service staffers in the information booth (the word "entrance" had been eliminated) didn't explain even that much, instead implying that in order to use the road, every vehicle had to have a ten-buck pass, whether or not the driver planned to stop. There are other sticky issues, too, Scherer's lawsuit charges. Mt. Evans Road (entrance fee required) and drive to Summit Lake where you can park. There are scenic pullouts all along the highway, and in addition to that scenic toilet, the very summit is billed as an overlook, with a viewing platform and signs that boast "I Can See for Miles." The area includes two Denver Mountain Parks: Echo Lake, at the bottom of the highway, and Summit Lake Park, at milepost 9. https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/colorado/mount-evans-wilderness more. After all, according to the language of the FLREA, "The Secretary shall not charge any standard amenity fee for Federal recreation lands and waters administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, or the Bureau of Reclamation under this act for any of the following: solely for parking, undesignated parking, or picnicking along roads or trailsides, for general access unless specifically authorized under this section, for dispersed areas with low or no investment unless specifically authorized under this section. And so Scherer filed suit in U.S. District Court, charging that through forest supervisor Glenn Casamassa, the Forest Service had "exceeded the scope of its legislative authority in implementing the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act" at Mount Evans Recreation Area. During construction, workers used ropes to pull themselves and their equipment up and down the steep cliffs of Mount Evans. It is the highest paved road in North America. Drive south on Colorado 103 for 13.5 miles to Echo Lake. Now all the briefs have been filed, and it's up to the judge. I'd have to agree with timo2 - unless you literally plan on driving up, snapping a picture from your (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Since Scherer filed his lawsuit — which now has four other nature lovers as plaintiffs — he and his attorney, Mary Ellen Barilotti, have made several interesting discoveries. The Arapaho National Forest currently charges a $10 amenity fee to visit Mount Evans. Take Exit 240 at Idaho Springs on Interstate 70. And while the Mount Evans Wilderness Area is an undeniable asset to Colorado, it's technically not an amenity. The Mount Evans Highway ascends thousands of feet of windy mountain roads, and draws an estimated 200,000 people from all over the world. ), "It's one of the most undersold and underappreciated attractions on the whole Front Range," Grant says. Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use, our cookies policy, and our privacy policy. The Mount Evans Scenic Byway, just 60 miles west of Denver, is the highest paved road in North America. My recomendation is to pay the fee.The Forest Service doesn't get enough appropriated funds from Congress for the upkeep of such a popular place, so they charge fees to the actual users of the place. I saw a sign for Mt Evans Fee Area - 14 Miles and hoped that it was 14 miles to the top of Mt. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But at Mount Evans, the Forest Service interprets an amenity very strictly: If you park, you pay the $10 fee. A 2014 image of Mount Evans Road on the way to Summit Lake. Don't be like my relatives, always trying to get something for nothing at the expense of everyone else. "The way we interpret the law, if there are amenities, it's not free," says Barilotti, who's arguing a similar case involving Mount Lemmon near Tucson. From either Idaho Springs (Exit 240 on I-70) or Bergen Park, (Exit #252 to Evergreen Parkway from westbound I-70, then turn west onto the Squaw Pass Road), drive to Echo Lake on HWY 103 (aka: Squaw Pass Road in Bergen Park), then take the Mt. Support the independent voice of Denver and help keep the future of Westword free. What kind of rental car do I need & are there places I should not drive a rental car? At a glance, there is an "entrance fee" to drive up to the top of Mt. The road itself, and only the road is the fee-free section. Parking is available at the junction with Hwy 5 (Mount Evans Road). Last year, 59,000 vehicles drove Mount Evans. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-40884718', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Mt. The contention is what defines "Amenities"... (The Scenic Pullouts is probably the only one I need to use) I have not found any additional/recent information. The Mount Evans highway typically opens to vehicular traffic at the end of May, but the agencies that manage the road and its amenities — CDOT, … For example, in 2005 a Forest Service official sent an e-mail alerting staffers at Mount Evans to "be very careful about what we do...Make sure you read the law and interim direction to make sure you are not charging for activities that the Act explicitly says you can't charge for. What if you pull over onto one of the state-maintained scenic overlooks? Restaurant recommendations for Christmas dinner? I've done the (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Pass in SW CO? Inside Colorado's Road Map to In-Person Learning, Hancock Won't Discuss Holiday Plans, Seems Pissed to Be Asked. With evidence like that, the Forest Service failed to get the lawsuit tossed. I'll pay the $10. About Us, If the fee station is closed, you can still gain access to Mount Evans by paying the $10.00 entrance fee … Though I do like your idea of switching the days for Pikes Peak and (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Continue following CO 103 to CO 5 (Mt. The U.S. Forest Service oversees the Mount Evans Recreation Area, which hosts more than 150,000 visitors each summer. Do I really need to pay $10? If you have a National Parks Pass it will work here, even though the area is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, not the National Park Service. "As long as you drive to the top and back without stopping, you don't need to pay," says John Bustos, the public information officer for this region of the Forest Service. U.S. Forest Service Information. Vehicles over 30' long are not recommended on CO 5 (Mount Evans road) due to the steep, narrow, winding road. The road is in bad repair.. full of deep crater pot holes and very very hilly.. Due to elevation, it gets colder as you higher up the mountain. E00120 Thompson Memo Mt Evans FLREA Review Chart The Forest Service says that in 2005 they reviewed the fee program at Mt Evans for compliance with the restrictions in the (then-new) FLREA, and found it to be compliant. But she also directed the staff not to "advertise this capability. And admission to any of the city's parks is supposed to be free. Elevation is over 14,000 feet.. Over the next three months, tens of thousands of cars will make the trip up State Highway 5, which starts at Echo Lake and goes from 10,500 feet to 14,230 feet in just fourteen miles. Evans is a funny experience. The Mount Evans Scenic Byway begins at the Idaho Springs Visitor Center. As of May 2004 there is a $10 fee for driving up Hwy 5 or you can get a season pass. Address: Hwy 103 & Mt Evans Rd, Idaho Springs Phone: 303-567-3000 Season: late May to mid October Pets: Yes, on-leash​ Fee: $10/vehicle to park at summit Campground Reservations: 1. The highway up Mount Evans opened at 8 a.m. last Friday, after a Colorado Department of Transportation crew had shoveled the last snow off the highest road in North America. Back in 1997, under the new federal Recreational Fee Demonstration Act, the Forest Service put an entrance station at the start of the highway, at Echo Lake, and began charging a $10 access fee to enter Arapaho National Forest, which abuts the state highway. In fact, if you stop your car anywhere on the road — to take a picture, to look at the scenery, never mind to use a bathroom — you'll have to pay. Support Us Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. 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