Mount Blue Sky
Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) is the highest peak in the Mount Evans Wilderness in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent 14,271-foot (4,350 m) fourteener is located 13.4 miles (21.6 km) southwest by south (bearing 214°) of Idaho Springs in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States, on the drainage divide between Arapaho National Forest and Pike National Forest.
| Mount Blue Sky | |
|---|---|
Mount Blue Sky seen from the south. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 14,271 feet (4,350 m) NAVD88 |
| Prominence | 2,770 feet (844 m) |
| Isolation | 9.79 miles (15.76 km) |
| Listing | |
| Coordinates | 39.5883°N 105.6438°W |
| Geography | |
Mount Blue Sky | |
| Location | Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States |
| Parent range | Front Range |
| Topo map | USGS 7.5' topographic map Mount Blue Sky, Colorado |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | disputed: 1863 by Albert Bierstadt 1872 by Judge Lunt |
| Easiest route | West Ridge from Summit Lake: Hike, class 2 |
The peak is one of the characteristic Front Range peaks, dominating the western skyline of the Great Plains along with Pikes Peak, Longs Peak, and nearby Mount Bierstadt. Mount Blue Sky can be seen from over 100 miles (160 km) to the east, and many miles in other directions. Mount Blue Sky dominates the Denver metropolitan area skyline, rising over 9,000 feet (2,700 m) above the area. Mount Blue Sky can be seen from points south of Castle Rock, up to (65 miles (105 km) south) and as far north as Fort Collins (95 miles (153 km) north), and from areas near Limon (105 miles (169 km) east).
Due to the negative associations of Territorial Governor John Evans with the Sand Creek Massacre, changing the name of Mount Evans was discussed over several years. On September 15, 2023, the United States Board on Geographic Names officially changed the mountain's name to Mount Blue Sky.