Colorado State Highway 5

"CO 5" redirects here. For the congressional district, see Colorado's 5th congressional district.
State Highway 5 marker
State Highway 5
Mount Blue Sky Highway
Map
SH 5 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by CDOT
Length14.894 mi[1] (23.970 km)
Tourist
routes		Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway
RestrictionsClosed winters
Major junctions
South endSummit of Mount Blue Sky
North end SH 103 at Echo Lake
Location
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountiesClear Creek
Highway system
  • Colorado State Highway System
← SH 3→ US 6

Colorado State Highway 5 (SH 5) is a 14.89-mile-long (23.96 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Colorado that is the highest paved road in North America with its upper terminus at 14,140 feet (4,310 m) elevation near the summit of Mount Blue Sky and its lower terminus at 10,650 feet (3,246 m) elevation at State Highway 103 near Echo Lake.

Route description

SH 5 is short, slightly less than 15 miles (24 km). It passes through the Mount Evans Wilderness. This particular state highway is quite unusual in that it does not pass through any cities, towns, or unincorporated communities.

The route is entirely contained within Clear Creek County. This highway forms half of the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, running from the summit of Mount Blue Sky to the junction with SH 103 at Echo Lake Park, about 13 miles (21 km) south of Idaho Springs, the nearest municipality to SH 5.

Because of its mountainous route, SH 5 is closed seasonally when snow clearance becomes excessively difficult, usually from Labor Day to Memorial Day. During the warmer months the road is open 24 hours a day. A toll (or "park fee") is charged, though technically the toll is only necessary for the use of the parking lot at the summit between 8 A.M. and 6:30 P.M.[2] As a state highway, the road is open to the public and free to traverse out and back.

State Highway 5 from summit of Mount Blue Sky

History

SH 5's current routing up to Mount Blue Sky was originally a part of SH 103; however, it was renumbered as SH 5 by year 1955.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Clear Creek County. 

mi[3]kmDestinationsNotes
14.89423.970Mount Blue Sky summit parkingDead end; southern terminus
0.0000.000Mestaa'ėhehe Road (SH 103)Northern terminus; Mt. Blue Sky Scenic Byway continues as SH 103 north
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ "Highway Data Explorer". Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  2. ^ "Mount Evans Recreation Area Fees and Regulations". US Forest Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  3. ^ "Highway Data Explorer, Online Transportation Information System". Colorado Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
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