Welcome Back to the Beautiful Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway

You are invited by the United States Forest Service, Denver Mountain Parks and Denver Botanic Gardens to once again visit the thrilling and iconic Mount Blue Sky, elevation 14,264 feet, opening for the 2026 season on Friday, May 22. 

The first stop along the road is the Mount Goliath Nature Center, where trails through the alpine interpretive gardens and ancient bristlecone pines welcome 100,000+ visitors annually. The Nature Center interior story panels feature alpine flora and fauna living on the Mount Blue Sky massif.  

Visitors may choose to hike the M. Walter Pesman Trail, a three-mile loop through bristlecone forest all the way to the upper reaches of the alpine. Wildflowers line the trails, and lucky hikers will pass such beauties as alpine phlox (Phlox condensata), little pink elephants (Pedicularis groenlandica) and alpine forget-me-not (Eritrichium argenteum).  

Animals making their homes in the alpine here include the always busy and charming pika, the winsome marmot and the fluffy-footed snowshoe hare. These alpine creatures are typically running about in rock fields, making their homes ready for next winter and finding food for their children.

The next stop is Summit Lake, the highest of the Denver Mountain Parks. Home to tundra and alpine/arctic plant species of great rarity, it was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1965.   

The Scenic Byway ends at 14,130 feet above sea level, when a short walk up the path will reward visitors with a breathtaking 360-degree view of the Rocky Mountains. 

Denver Botanic Gardens has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service since 1958 to create and maintain the Mount Goliath Nature Center and Alpine Interpretive Gardens on Mount Blue Sky. The Scenic Byway has been closed since Labor Day 2024 for road repairs.

Reservations are required - make yours now. A beautiful and memorable day awaits! 
 

Article and images contributed by Assistant Curator Amy Schneider.