Denver Mountain Parks to Manage Mount Blue Sky Road

The iconic mountain road will now be overseen by the city's parks department, taking over from the U.S. Forest Service.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 5:35pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A bold, geometric illustration in the Art Deco style depicting a towering, sweeping mountain landscape with smooth, airbrushed gradients, capturing the grand scale and romance of travel without any literal depiction of people or text.The transfer of management for the iconic Mount Blue Sky Road to Denver's parks department signals a new era of stewardship for this high-altitude recreation destination.Denver Today

The Mount Blue Sky Road in Colorado, which provides access to the 14,266-foot summit, will be managed by Denver Mountain Parks starting this Memorial Day weekend. The city's parks department will now be responsible for staffing the welcome station, collecting fees, and operating the reservation system for the popular recreation area, which previously was overseen by the Arapaho National Forest.

Why it matters

The change in management reflects the long-standing partnership between the city of Denver, the state of Colorado, and the U.S. Forest Service in overseeing this high-use mountain recreation area. It marks a shift back to Denver Mountain Parks having a greater presence on the mountain, as they did in the early years when they operated lodges and restaurants there.

The details

Denver Mountain Parks will now be responsible for managing the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area, including staffing the welcome station at Echo Lake, collecting fees, and operating the reservation system. This is a change from the past four decades when the Arapaho National Forest was primarily in charge of the mountain. The road typically opens around Memorial Day after snow clearing and closes on Labor Day, with over 100,000 visitors driving it annually.

  • The Mount Blue Sky Road will open for the summer season on Memorial Day weekend 2026.
  • The road did not open last summer due to a repair project near Summit Lake.

The players

Denver Mountain Parks

The parks department for the city of Denver, which will now be responsible for managing the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area.

Arapaho National Forest

The U.S. Forest Service unit that previously oversaw the management of the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area.

Christopher Stubbs

The forest supervisor for the Arapaho National Forest.

CDOT

The Colorado Department of Transportation, which maintains the highway and plows it in the spring for summer access to the Mount Blue Sky Road.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Managing this complex, high-use recreation area has always been a shared stewardship effort between the national forest, the city of Denver and state of Colorado. We have been working together on this mountain for more than a century. In the early years, Denver had the greater presence with their (Echo Lake) lodge and restaurants on the mountain. For the past four decades, the forest service has been at the helm. Now it's Denver's turn again.”

— Christopher Stubbs, Forest Supervisor, Arapaho National Forest

What’s next

Reservations for accessing the Mount Blue Sky Road are expected to become available on recreation.gov in May 2026, prior to the Memorial Day weekend opening.

The takeaway

The shift in management of the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area from the U.S. Forest Service to Denver Mountain Parks reflects the long history of collaboration between the city, state, and federal agencies in overseeing this popular mountain destination. It marks a return to Denver having a greater on-the-ground presence, as they did in the early years of the road's operation.