Do you offer public access or "Public Night" star-party events? Because of the extreme weather possible anytime atop Mt.Evans, we do not generally offer public events. We do have a classic observatory in south-central Denver that does offer frequent public night programs - DU's historic Chamberlin Observatory.
How bad was the damage from the high wind events of late 2011/early 2012? See our disaster recovery blog for updates. These events have placed the future of the facility in jeopardy.
PLEASE NOTE:
State Highway 5 to the summit of 14,268 ft Mt.Evans is normally open to
the public all summer, 24-7, typically between Memorial Day and Labor
Day. The rest of the year it is closed for repairs and/or for safety reasons, by the
Colorado Dept. of Transportation.
Presently, Forest Service is collecting
an access fee of about $10 per car to fund their public land management
activities at Mt.Evans.
Echo Lake Lodge/RESTAURANT, at the base of the
Mt.Evans road (~8am-5pm daily May-Oct) can advise about road
conditions: 303-567-2138. A "street address" for mapquest.com or equivlent is: 13264
State Highway 103, Idaho Springs CO 80452: on the east end of Echo Lake
park - well marked, obvious building. Note, the nearby DU Echo Lake/Echo Lab
location 39d39'22"N, 105d35m35sW, elev. 10,710ft [GPS, JohnStarkey
11-4-02].
1.RESEARCH PROPOSAL submitted to the Observatory
Director, via Denver
University
Dept. of Physics &
Astronomy, Denver CO 80208 USA (Fax 303-871-4405).
2. Enrollment in suitable Denver University
ASTRONOMY
CLASSES. Note: a series of summer short courses may be offered June-Sept.
Look for PHYS 2063 or 3995 (for credit, with tuition) at the SUMMER QUARTER links,
and/or FALL INTERTERM classes
For most summers, classes are scheduled to run second-half of June and
second-half of August.
3. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES exist in conjunction with your membership in any astronomical society, or with organizations such as the International Dark Sky Association, AAVSO or the Astronomical League. Observing time can be awarded on a proposal basis, or in exchange for well-documented efforts in support of astronomy programs, and/or combating light pollution (wasteful lighting practises).
4. Small, pre-arranged group tours may be possible, at cost, during summer months. Interested persons are asked to write a description of their interests, number in the group and preferred and backup dates for proposed visit, along with an optional, tax-deductible donation by check (payable to UNIVERSITY OF DENVER), mailed to: Director, Mt.Evans Observatory, Dept. Physics and Astronomy, University of Denver, Denver CO 80208 USA. Please allow 2 weeks for response. Public access is possible only between June 1 and Aug. 31. Please note: this is a research facility. We receive ZERO tax dollars in direct support of our program and currently have no extra staffing to accomodate public-viewing nights. HOWEVER:
5-14-2015