Mount Evans Scenic Byway & Hanging Lake

The Mount Evans Scenic Byway (Colorado Highway 5) is the highest paved road in North America, climbing from Echo Lake at 10,600 feet to the summit parking lot at 14,130 feet — a drive of 14 miles with switchbacks above treeline the entire way. The summit at 14,264 feet is accessible on foot from the parking lot (0.5 mile, Class 1) and gives views of Denver's city grid, the Continental Divide, and on clear days, Pikes Peak 70 miles south. Mountain goats are frequently seen on the upper slopes; arctic tundra wildflowers bloom in July-August. Road typically open late May to mid-November depending on snow.

The Argo Gold Mine operated from 1893 to 1943 and processed over $100 million in gold and silver from the Clear Creek district. The Double Eagle Mine tunnel tour runs 2,300 feet into the mountain where hydraulic mining equipment is still in place. The Argo Mill on the surface — with its original stamps, amalgamation tables, and assay office — is one of the best-preserved gold stamp mills in Colorado. Visitors can pan for gold in the creek; the panning reliably produces small flake gold from the mine concentrate.

Hanging Lake is a travertine deposit lake perched on a ledge 1,000 feet above Glenwood Canyon — one of the most visually spectacular short hikes in Colorado. The 3-mile round trip gains 1,000 feet in 1.5 miles of relentless switchbacks up the canyon wall. The lake itself is a vivid turquoise from mineral-rich water feeding constantly from Spouting Rock waterfall (which feeds the lake) and Bridal Veil Falls. A free permit system (required, reservations at recreation.gov) manages the 615 visitors per day. The lake's floor is visible through the extraordinarily clear water; swimming is prohibited to protect the travertine formations.

A Glenwood Springs brewpub with the best patio view in the Colorado mountain beer scene — the patio overlooks the Colorado River as it exits Glenwood Canyon. The Vapor Cave Ale and Iron Mountain IPA are brewed on-site; the kitchen does elevated pub food with local ingredients. After the Hanging Lake climb, the riverside setting and cold draft beer combination is genuinely restorative.

The world's largest natural outdoor mineral hot springs pool — two pools on the Colorado River bank fed by the Yampah Spring at 122 degrees F, cooled to 90 degrees for the main pool and 104 degrees for the therapy pool. The spring has been flowing at the same rate (3.5 million gallons per day) since the Ute people used it as a healing site. The current pool has operated since 1888 when the Hotel Colorado was built on the same block. After Hanging Lake's quad-burning descent, the mineral water does its job.