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Highway 103: Evergreen to Idaho Springs, Front Range, Colorado
Photo: Clyde Charles Brown · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped

Drives Colorado Denver, Boulder and the Front Range

Highway 103: Evergreen to Idaho Springs

CO 103, Squaw Pass, Juniper Pass · Bergen Park → Idaho Springs

Twisty31 mi1 hr 5 min3,900 ft climbHigh point ≈ 11,200 ftOne way
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The drive

Highway 103 is the ridge road from the Evergreen area to Idaho Springs. It starts at Bergen Park, at CO 74, and heads west, climbing along the ridge over Mestaa'ehehe Pass, which was long called Squaw Pass, and past the 11,020-foot summit of Juniper Pass. The curves are long and sweeping through lodgepole pine, with views toward Mount Blue Sky and the Continental Divide.

At Echo Lake, Highway 103 meets CO 5, the road to Mount Blue Sky. Together the two make up the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway. This drive stays on 103, turning north and dropping down Chicago Creek into Idaho Springs, where the road ends at I-70 exit 240.

The first part of the road, east of the pass, is a county road maintained by Clear Creek County, and the route continues west as the state highway.

Along the way

  1. Bergen Park (CO-74)
  2. Mestaa'ėhehe Pass
  3. Echo Lake
  4. Idaho Springs
Elevation
3,900 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 11,200 ft
Bergen ParkIdaho Springs
Curves
Mostly moderate, with three twisty stretches
Bergen ParkIdaho Springs
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The Mount Blue Sky road at Echo Lake is a separate drive, with its own timed-entry rules and a short season.
  • The road tops 11,000 feet near Juniper Pass, so check for winter conditions.
  • Check COtrip before you go for current conditions.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check CDOT COtrip.

Questions about this drive

How long does Highway 103 from Evergreen to Idaho Springs take?

Bergen Park to Idaho Springs on Highway 103 is 31 miles and takes about 1 hr 5 min.

What is Mestaa'ehehe Pass?

Mestaa'ehehe Pass is the pass on Highway 103 that was formerly called Squaw Pass. Juniper Pass, near Echo Lake, is the 11,020-foot summit farther west.

Is Highway 103 the road to Mount Blue Sky?

Highway 103 meets CO 5, the road up Mount Blue Sky, at Echo Lake. The two together are the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway.

How twisty is Highway 103?

Highway 103 from Bergen Park to Idaho Springs is rated Twisty, with long curves along the ridge and three twisty stretches.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Highway 103: Evergreen to Idaho Springs, from Bergen Park to Idaho Springs