Mount Evans VS Pikes Peak: What’s Best For Your Next Trip?

We get it. You are tired of searching for a place for the weekend. If you live in Colorado, we have two fantastic suggestions for your weekend. Namely, Mount Evans and Pikes Peak. 

mount evans vs pikes peak in colorado

We will compare Mount Evans vs Pikes Peak in our article today. Most probably, you have already heard about them. Both the mountains will give you some exciting experience of driving, sightseeing and many more!

If you want to choose only one to make your first experience worth remembering, you must consider some factors. For instance, the place where you live, the day when you want to visit, etc. 

We don’t think we should compare these two sites as both of them will give you some great experience. If you have the chance, go for both. But if you do not, our article is here to help you decide. 

Let’s start…

Mount Evans And Pikes Peak Overview 

Mount Evans Overview: The highest peak of the ‘Front Range’ of the Rocky Mountains is Mount Evans. It is as high as 4350m, making it slightly higher than that of Pikes Peak. 

overview of mount evans in colorado

Mount Evans is 13.4 miles away from Idaho Springs, Colorado. The mountain resides in between Pike National Forest and Arapaho National Forest. The fun activities you can enjoy on Mount Evans are endless. 

 arapaho national forest in mount evans

Starting from some great sightseeing (Echo Lake and Summit Lake), meeting with a herd of mountain goats, and experiencing the breathtaking drive on the paved highway are some of the activities worth mentioning. 

Pikes Peak Overview: The highest summit of the Rocky Mountain (on the southern Front Range) is Pikes Peak. The height of the mountain is 4302.31m. It is in the Pike National Forest. 

pike national forest in colorado

Pikes Peak is 12 miles away from downtown Colorado Springs, in the west. 

Even though Pikes Peak is just short in height than Mount Evans, it is far more popular than its counterpart. You can do pretty much all the fun activities you can wonder doing on a mountain. 

Biking, hiking, fishing, and you can even go boating with non-motor boats. What else would you want?

Popular ActivitiesMount EvansPikes Peak
HikingYesYes
Lake DivingYesNo
Mountain GoatsYesNo
Scary DriveYesYes
BikingYesYes
PetsAllowed Allowed

Cost Comparison Chart

Cost ofMount EvansPikes Peak
Entrance for a personFree $15 (for children- $5)
Carload$15 (up to 12 persons$50 (up to 5 persons)

Mount Evans & Pikes Peak Accessibility 

You can reach Mount Evan’s top by the common transports. You can either get yourself on a vehicle or can use a bicycle. Biking will be a bit tough, though. 

use a bicycle to go to mount evan's top

Biking 14,000 feet while going up is not a piece of cake. You have to start from the Mount Evans Scenic Byway. 

mount evans in colorado

To reach Pikes Peak, you have to start your journey from Highway US-24. Go west of the road. You have to turn left and go towards Fountain Ave. From there, you will find the Pikes Peak Highway sign. 

pikes peak highway sign
Pikes Peak Highway sign

As there are no gas stations on the way, make sure to have enough fuel to reach Pikes Peak and return from there.

Mount Evans VS Pikes Peak: Which Is Best For Your Next Trip

If you go to Mount Evans, you will see fewer crowds. In addition, the sightseeing is just on another level compared to other mountains. 

Summit lake in mount evans

The view of the Summit lake or coupal trevale in Mount Evans will make you feel the tour is worth it. We think it will be a great adventure for a new couple. So, yeah. We are suggesting Mount Evans for a Honeymoon trip. 

coupal trevale in mount evans

Plus, Mount Evans is not bad for a family tour at all. Your kids will love seeing the mountain goats, having some fresh air, and being close to nature. 

Pikes Peak has more crowd than Mount Evans. Actually, the average temperature of Pikes Peak makes it comfortable for a wide range of people. 

fishing in pikes peak

There are plenty of souvenir shops to buy items for your kids and family members. The kids will also most likely enjoy fishing and going boating. For the mentioned reasons, we think Pikes Peak will be an ideal choice for a family trip.

As we have already mentioned, there are a lot of activities to do in Mount Evans. Let’s have a look at the list about what you can do in the Mount Evans-

1. Echo Lake 

Stopping at Echo Lake is kind of a must-do thing while visiting Mount Evans. The Lake is one of the first places where you can stop by and experience the beauty of Mount Evans. 

echo lake in mount evans

Stop and enjoy the divine view of Mount Evans from there. 

2. Sightseeing At Summit Lake

Visiting Mount Evans and skipping Summit Lake don’t go together. You can stop at Summit Lake and see the beautiful peak of Mount Evans and the surroundings. 

sightseeing at summit lake

You can also stop at the top of Mount Evans and have the pleasure of seeing the beautiful Summit Lake from there. 

3. Mountain Goats

Seeing Mountain Goats is one of the key reasons why people love to visit Mount Evans. 

mountain goats in mount evans

Getting closer to these wild creatures will remind you how beautiful nature is if you can get a closure view of wildlife. 

4. Hiking 

There are some trails that you can follow to hike. Although hiking is not mandatory to get the most of Mount Evans, you can do it there. It always gives a unique experience. 

hiking in mount evans

5. Scary Driving 

Get yourself prepared for some crazy driving as most parts of the road have no guardrails. If your heart is not good with risky driving, you have to reconsider visiting Mount Evans. 

scary driving in mount evans

Tips For Visiting Mount Evans  

To get the best experience from Mount Evans visit, we suggest you follow our tips. If you don’t and miss anything of Mount Evans, remember, we are not responsible. 

Tip no 1: Make sure Mount Evans is open while you are visiting. Generally, it remains open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. 

2. Don’t forget to get well dressed for cold temperatures. 

3. Beware of some crazy driving experience as most of the road has no guardrails. 

4. Try to travel midweek. You will get less crowd in that time. 

5. To see the mountain goats, try asking at the entrance gate. People will tell you where you can find the goats.

The following are the popular activities of Pikes Peak-

1. Hiking

There are some trails for hiking purposes. If you want to go hiking, you can easily do it. 

hiking in pikes peak

2. Biking

You can go for a bike tour also. But remember, it is really tough to do cycling in a fourteener. If you are not a moderately skilled cyclist, we don’t recommend going biking. 

biking in pikes peak

3. Boating (With Non-Motor Boats)

You can even go boating! But in order to do that, you will need prior permission from the authority. And obviously, the boats will be without motors to keep nature natural. 

boating in pikes peak

4. Fishing 

If you love fishing, you can carry your fishing tools with you. Because there is the chance of fishing in Pikes Peak. You have to pay some extra money, though. 

fishing in pikes peak

5. Sightseeing At Crystal Reservoir, Devils Playground, and Summit House

Stopping at the above-mentioned places is a must if you visit Pikes Peak. The calming view will remind you that the visit is worth every penny. 

crystal reservoir, devils playground, and summit house in pikes peak

Tips For Visiting Pikes Peak 

To help you with getting everything out of Pikes Peak, here are some tips from us-

1. Make sure you have enough fuel in the tank to travel and return from Pikes Peak as there are no gas stations on the road. 

2. Don’t forget to stop at Devils Playground and Crystal Reservoir to make your visit memorable. And we know you are going to stop at the Summit House. 

3. Make sure to check the weather and weather statistics before the visit. Be prepared with warm clothes if necessary. 

4. If you want to picnic, make sure you have stopped at one of the places with picnic signs.

Best Time To Visit Pikes Peak And Mount Evans  

The best time to visit Mount Evans is from Mid-July to Late August. The reason behind this is the weather. The weather will be comparatively warmer in this period. 

 mount evans colorado

On the other hand, the best time to visit Pikes Peak is from March to May and October to mid-December. The weather will be good at this time. 

pikes peak summit colorado

In addition, you will be able to get yourself into less crowded Pikes Peak in this period.

Weather Comparison Chart

WeatherMount EvansPikes Peak
Temperature-11°C/-21°C to 11°C/-3°C (Jan-July)-6°C/-17°C to 12°C/1°C (Jan-July)
Wind speed46-56 km/h34.12 km/h
Altitude sicknessyesyes

Accomodations In Mount Evans & Pikes Peak-

Mount Evans is less popular and, therefore, less crowded. There are even fewer convenience stores around the spot. If you want to stay near Mount Evans, you have to stay in Denver. 

hotel layton construction denver colorado

Don’t worry. You will get both affordable and premium options there. 

Pikes Peak is more popular compared to Mount Evans. For this reason, accommodation is much easier here. You can easily get one of the hotels in Colorado Springs. 

pikes peak resort woodland park

If you keep your eyes and ears open, you may even find camping tents, resorts at a reasonable price. 

Food Habit In Pikes Peak & Mount Evans

There are basically no differences in food habits between Mount Evans and Pikes Peak. The reason behind this is both the mountains are very close to each other. You can literally travel from one place to another within only around four hours.

colorado style pizza

How many differences will there be if the geological distance is only so much? There won’t be much. However, as Pikes Peak is busier than Mount Evans, you will get more available food options at Pikes Peak. But if you stay at a restaurant, the food will be more or less the same.

colorado style green chili

The most famous foods of Colorado are- Colorado Style Green Chili, Colorado Style Pizza, Rocky Mountain Oysters, Bison, Denver Omelette, etc. You can definitely give it a try to all of them. Because, why not?

How Long To Stay In Mount Evans And Pikes Peak  

There are plenty of staying options for foreigners and people who come here from other states. But if you live in Colorado, you can visit and return to both places on the same day. That means you have to stay only a day in the respective spots. 

Our suggestion is you visit one place on the first day. Take a day off. Then visit the other place on the second day. It doesn’t matter whether you are from Colorado or some other place. 

Both the places are worth the shots. But if you want to enjoy the spots separately, you can do so. We respect that decision too.

Decision Time, Mount Evans VS Pikes Peak Who Wins 

We were frequently blabbering about the same thing throughout the article. We are going to do that once again. Both the places are worth a shot. 

If you can visit both, do so. We are telling you, you won’t regret the decision to visit both the spots. But if you really want to hear about our pick, here is our verdict. 

mount evans vs pikes peak

We think we would choose Mount Evans if we had only one option. The spectacular view from the peak of Mount Evans, mountain goats, and fewer hassles (as there are fewer shops) convinced us to choose Mount Evans as our pick. 

But hey, if you are near Pikes Peak and slightly in favor of that mountain, you are not missing much! The festival vibe from the crowd, boating, and fishing are also worth visiting on any given day.

FAQ

Is Pikes Peak On Mount Evans? 

No, it is not. Pikes Peak and Mount Evans are two separate mountains. But there are two common factors between them. Both mountains are in Colorado, and both of them are a part of the Rocky Mountains. For these reasons, someone may easily get confused with these two mountains. But no. They are two totally different mountains. 

Is Mount Evans Higher Than Pikes Peak?

The height of Mount Evans is 4350m. On the other side, the height of Pikes Peak is 4302.31m. So, yeah. Mount Evans is clearly higher than Pikes Peak. Even after being shorter than Mount Evans (the difference is very little), you won’t feel the difference. The reason behind this fact is, all the other mountains and surroundings near Pikes Peak are shorter than it. 

Is The Mount Evans Scenic Byway Scary? 

Hell, yes! If you are not an expert driver, we suggest not to drive any vehicle on that road. If you are one, get ready for some crazy edges and turns. 

Conclusion 

Spending your weekend near nature is always a great decision. And if the place is something like Mount Evans or Pikes Peak, your weekend will be even more exciting. 

There are plenty of fun activities on both sites, and there is the option to get yourself near nature. 

The main objective of our article was to provide as much information as we could at one place regarding Pikes Peak vs Mount Evans. 

We think it will help you decide better where to visit, or maybe both. Don’t worry. We know you won’t do any wrong!

Read Also: Belize vs Cancun: Which is Best for Your Next Trip 

About Ishaque

I am a frequent traveler who likes to explore the beauty of the earth and live an independent lifestyle. Also, I am working as a freelance writer to support my independent lifestyle. Learn more about us.

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