Mount Blue Sky, Georgetown and Loveland Pass to Breckenridge

Route description

Leave Denver west on I-70 and climb into Clear Creek Canyon to Idaho Springs, 50 km away, a gold-rush town with a lively main street and a historic hot springs. Summer weekends bring heavy traffic on I-70, so start early. From Idaho Springs, CO-103 climbs south for about 21 km through forest to Echo Lake, a good place for a picnic or a short walk around the shore.

At Echo Lake, CO-5 heads for the summit of Mount Blue Sky, formerly Mount Evans, at 4,348 m. The road reopened in 2026 after two years of repairs; it is open in summer only, and a timed-entry reservation is required. It is narrow, with steep drop-offs and no guard rails, so check current conditions before you go. Stop at Summit Lake, where mountain goats are often seen.

Back in Idaho Springs, continue west on I-70 to Georgetown, a well-preserved silver-mining town with Victorian houses and shops. The Georgetown Loop Railroad runs between Georgetown and Silver Plume over a high trestle, and Guanella Pass Scenic Byway climbs south from town to a trailhead above the tree line. Georgetown has limited RV parking, so park at the lake on the edge of town.

Leave I-70 at exit 216 and take US-6 over Loveland Pass at 3,655 m, a slower but more scenic route than the Eisenhower Tunnel. Vehicles carrying hazardous materials, including large propane loads, must use the pass. The road drops past Arapahoe Basin and Keystone to Dillon Reservoir; from there, CO-9 leads south to Breckenridge, a busy ski town with a historic district and a free bus system.