Colorado State Highway 5

Colorado State Highway 5 (SH 5) is a 14.89 mi state highway in the U.S. state of Colorado that is the highest paved road in North America with its upper terminus at 14140 ft elevation near the summit of Mount Blue Sky and its lower terminus at 10650 ft elevation at near Echo Lake.

Route description
SH 5 is short, slightly less than 15 mi. It passes through the Mount Evans Wilderness. This particular state highway is quite unusual in that it does not pass through any cities, towns, or unincorporated communities.

The route is entirely contained within Clear Creek County. This highway forms half of the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, running from the summit of Mount Blue Sky to the junction with SH 103 at Echo Lake Park, about 13 mi south of Idaho Springs, the nearest municipality to SH 5.

Because of its mountainous route, SH 5 is closed seasonally when snow clearance becomes excessively difficult, usually from Labor Day to Memorial Day. During the warmer months the road is open 24 hours a day. A toll (or "park fee") is charged, though technically the toll is only necessary for the use of the parking lot at the summit between 8 A.M. and 6:30 P.M. As a state highway, the road is open to the public and free to traverse out and back.

History
SH 5's current routing up to Mount Blue Sky was originally a part of SH 103; however, it was renumbered as SH 5 by year 1955.