Mount Blue Sky, previously known as Mount Evans, is a prominent mountain peak in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains notable for being near Denver and for having a paved road all the way to the peak. As a result, it is one of the most visited peaks in the United States. 

With an elevation of 14,266 feet (4,378 meters), Mount Blue Sky is one of Colorado’s fifty-eight Fourteeners.

Location

Mount Blue Sky is one of the most prominent peaks in central Colorado. Because of its height and its location on the very edge of the eastern slope overlooking the Great Plains, it can be viewed from over 100 miles away. It is located 13 miles southwest-by-south from Idaho Springs in Clear Creek County, and 35 miles west of Denver.

The peak formed along with the rest of the Rocky Mountains as a result of plate tectonic activity in North America over the last 75 million years. Before plate tectonics pushed the mountain range up, the stone and sediment was located at the bottom of the Western Interior Seaway, a now non-existent prehistoric sea that covered much of central North America. Plate movement, volcanic activity, and glaciation have continued to shape the terrain.

The upper regions of the mountain have an alpine tundra environment, which is characterized as treeless, cold, and relatively dry. As it typically experiences permafrost (a constant state of frozen topsoil), few animals and plants are suited for this type of environment. Though the harsh conditions limit much life, certain ground-hugging plants and lichens flourish in these conditions, and animals suited for this climate such as marmots, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and chipmunks thrive in this environment. There are several mountain lakes on the slopes of Mount Blue Sky, including Summit Lake and the Chicago Lakes.

History

The first person of European descent known to summit Mount Blue Sky was landscape painter Albert Bierstadt, who climbed it 1863 with William Newton Byers, an early settler of Denver and editor of the Rocky Mountain News. Bierstadt referred to the mountain as “Mount Rosalie” after his fiancé, and made numerous sketches and paintings of views of and on the mountain. Photographer William Henry Jackson climbed the peak in 1873 as part of the Hayden Survey.

By the 1870s, white settlers in the area were referring to the peak as Mount Evans in honor of territorial governor John Evans. By the end of the century, this name was officially recognized by state and federal organizations.

Denver Mountain Parks System

In 1912, Denver residents voted to establish a Denver Mountain Parks System. The Parks organizers prioritized creating a scenic byway to link attractions along what was then Mount Evans. The project proved difficult. Construction workers found treacherous conditions and weather only permitted work in July, August, and September. In 1920, construction was finished on the “highest roadway in America.” Denver Mountain Parks next added Echo Lake Lodge in 1926, and the Crest House, a cafe and gift shop at the top of the peak, in 1941. Both attractions supported thousands of visitors from Memorial Day to Labor Day each year.

On September 1, 1979, as the Crest House prepared to close for the season, an operator from the Evergreen Propane Company failed to seal the hoses while refilling propane tanks. The result was an explosion and a fire that completely destroyed the Crest House. Legal battles between the City of Denver and the Forest Service throughout the 1980s caused the structure to never be rebuilt. The ruins remain on the summit, and can be visited by tourists.

Name Change and Indigenous Legacy

Controversy around the name Mount Evans grew in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, primarily due to the actions of Territorial Governor John Evans which led to the Sand Creek Massacre. By 2019, the general public became more aware of Governor Evans’ responsibility for the massacre and efforts to change the name of the mountain began in earnest. Government representatives partnered with Tribal Councils from the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, as well as non-profit allies, to lobby for the mountain to be renamed.

A government committee proposed six names for the change: Mount Blue Sky, Mount Cheyenne-Arapaho, Mount Rosalie, Mount Sisty, Mount Soule and Mount Evans (named for the daughter of John Evans). The name Mount Blue Sky won favor by the committee because of its association with both the Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne. On September 15, 2023, the Board on Geographic Names (BGN) announced the proposal to rename Mount Evans to Mount Blue Sky for federal use after a vote of 15-1.