Snow Cleared, Road To Mount Evans Summit Now Open For The Season

(CBS4) - The work of snow clearing crews is complete, and the road to get up to the top of Mount Evans is now open for the season. The highest paved road in North America usually opens by Memorial Day weekend, but that wasn't the case this year due to late season Colorado snowstorms.

The 28 mile-long road climbs more than 7,000 feet, eventually summiting at 14,130 feet. The road, which starts in Idaho Springs and proceeds south to the gates at Echo Lake Lodge before heading to the top of the mountain, features mountain goat and bighorn sheep herds, marmots and alpine wildflowers.

Crews from the Colorado Department of Transportation "worked throughout the month of May and into early June clearing snow along the 15-mile highway," according to a new release sent Friday morning by state officials. They shared some photos of the lengthy snow clearing process.

Tickets are required to drive up to the summit, and can be obtained at recreation.gov.