After nearly two years away, Coloradans will return to one of the state’s most scenic roads Memorial Day weekend. 

Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway is reopening ー North America’s highest paved road climbing more than 7,000 feet from Idaho Springs toward the summit near 14,130 feet. 

Reservations can be booked at Recreation.gov: $20 for vehicles and $15 for motorcycles, plus a $2 processing fee. For bold cyclists seeking the storied challenge, the road is free. 

Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway had been closed since the end of the 2024 season for construction and maintenance on an upper stretch. The road is said to draw more than 100,000 visitors between May and September. Now those visitors will return to cherished scenes of high-alpine lakes, ancient bristlecone pines, iconic wildlife and endless views across 28 miles. 

Visitors will be greeted by new management. Where the U.S. Forest Service had long been posted at the entrance station, Denver Mountain Parks will now be managing reservations and collecting fees, as previously announced. 

The agreement expands Denver Mountain Parks’ presence on the mountain; the agency has long overseen Echo Lake Lodge by the entrance station and Summit Lake Park above 12,800 feet. 

“We have been working together on this mountain for more than a century,” Forest Supervisor Christopher Stubbs said in a statement. “In the early years, Denver had the greater presence with their lodge and restaurants on the mountain. For the past four decades, the Forest Service has been at the helm. Now it’s Denver’s turn again.”

Stubbs added: “Recreation is something Denver Mountain Parks does really well, and we think visitors are going to be well-served by this strengthened partnership.”

Increasingly amid tightening budgets and prioritizing fire mitigation, the Forest Service has turned to local partners to manage recreation at some of Colorado’s most popular destinations. 

Hanging Lake is an example. One more recent: the Frisco Backyard project, which will see the Forest Service conduct fire mitigation while the town develops and manages recreation across busy trails. And next year, Pitkin County could take on a greater role managing Maroon Bells Scenic Area under a Forest Service permit, as announced this month. 

At Mount Blue Sky, “This new management approach has the potential to increase efficiency, steward resources more responsibly and enhance the visitor experience,” Denver Mountain Parks Director Shannon Dennison said in a statement. 

The reservation system aims to control traffic through a capped number of tickets sold on an hourly basis, with 75% of those timed slots available to book 30 days in advance. The other 25% are made available two days in advance.