State Highway 103 in the U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 state of Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

 runs from I-70 at Idaho Springs to county roads 151 and 103 at Squaw Pass. The thirteen miles (19 km) from Idaho Springs to State Highway 5

State Highway 5 (Colorado)

State Highway 5 in the U.S. state of Colorado is the highest paved road in North America. However, this is not a through highway; it is simply a scenic spur route to the summit of Mount Evans, altitude 14,264 feet...

 forms about half of the Mount Evans Scenic Byway

Mount Evans Scenic Byway

The Mount Evans Scenic Byway begins at the junction of Interstate 70 and State Highway 103 near Idaho Springs, Colorado and continues on State Highway 5 through the Mount Evans Wilderness where it ends near the summit of Mount Evans. The byway is in length and gains over of elevation...

.

Route description

The route begins at Idaho Springs

Idaho Springs, Colorado

The City of Idaho Springs is a municipality in the U.S. state of Colorado that is the most populous settlement in Clear Creek County, Colorado. Idaho Springs is located in Clear Creek Canyon, in the mountains upstream from Golden, some thirty miles west of Denver...

, where it heads southwest away from the center of the city and follows the Chicago Creek. After exiting the city, the route begins climbing in elevation, ultimately reaching an elevation of about 10,000 feet, where it meets State Highway 5 at Echo Lake Park

Echo Lake Park

Echo Lake Park is a park located along the Mount Evans Scenic Byway about west of Denver, Colorado. The park provides a stone shelter with picnic tables and barbecue grills on one end of the lake, and the 1926 Echo Lake Lodge and an Arapaho National Forest campground are found at the other...

. It then passes through Squaw Pass to its terminus at County Route 151.

History

The route was established in 1923, where it began at U.S. Route 285

U.S. Route 285

U.S. Route 285 is a north–south United States highway, running 845 miles through the states of Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. The highway's northern terminus is in Denver, Colorado, at exit 201 on Interstate 25. Its southern terminus is in Sanderson, Texas at an intersection with U.S....

 and traversed to Idaho Springs. The segment east of Squaw Pass was renumbered in 1954, and the route was entirely paved by 1956.

Major intersections

Location	Mile	Destination	Notes
Idaho Springs Idaho Springs, Colorado The City of Idaho Springs is a municipality in the U.S. state of Colorado that is the most populous settlement in Clear Creek County, Colorado. Idaho Springs is located in Clear Creek Canyon, in the mountains upstream from Golden, some thirty miles west of Denver...	0.000
	0.119
Echo Lake Park Echo Lake Park Echo Lake Park is a park located along the Mount Evans Scenic Byway about west of Denver, Colorado. The park provides a stone shelter with picnic tables and barbecue grills on one end of the lake, and the 1926 Echo Lake Lodge and an Arapaho National Forest campground are found at the other...	13.265
	22.488	Little Bear Creek Road(CR 151)	Squaw Pass Summit