Things to Do in Evergreen

1. Evergreen Lake

Evergreen Lake is a charming public lake and park facility in Evergreen, offering beautiful panoramic views of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The lake offers opportunities for fishing throughout the summer months, with ice skating permitted during winter months when the lake is frozen over. The 1.3-mile Evergreen Lake Trail traverses a loop around the lake, offering natural surfaces for walking and jogging, though visitors should note that sections of the trail do not permit strollers or wheelchairs. Evergreen Lake House, located within the park, serves as a public community center, offering private special event rentals and a skating center during months when the lake is open for ice skating. During the summer months, free concerts are offered at the lake as part of the Evergreen Lake Summer Concert Series.

29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen, CO 80439, Phone: 720-880-1300

2. Alderfer/Three Sisters Park

Alderfer/Three Sisters Park is a beautiful 1,127-acre public park within the heart of Evergreen, home to impressive old-growth stands of ponderosa pine trees and stunning vista overlooks of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The park is home to more trails per acre of any public park within the Rocky Mountain foothills, offering over 15 miles of public-access trails for hiking and biking. Trails range from easy, family-friendly strolls to strenuous hikes for more advanced hikers, including the mountain meadow-traversing 0.6-mile Wild Iris Loop, the Evergreen Mountain East Trail, and the summit-scaling Sisters Trail. Rock climbing and horseback riding opportunities are also offered nearby, with a 10-mile hiking loop offered around the outer rim of the park.

30357 Buffalo Park Rd, Evergreen, CO 80439, Phone: 303-271-5925

3. Flying J Ranch Park

Flying J Ranch Park is a peaceful public park in Evergreen best known for its four-mile loop hiking route, which offers opportunities to see spectacular old-grown Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and lodgepole pine tree forests. The loop hiking route offers two access trailheads at the park's main parking lot and I-173 parking lot, beginning at the Junction House Trail, which spans 0.6 miles along beautiful meadows and traverses lovely public boardwalks. Throughout the four-mile loop, hikers gain more than 1,200 feet of elevation, weaving through open grassy meadow areas and thickly-forested regions. Rustic timber shelters offer opportunities for picnics, with snowshoeing opportunities available during the winter months.

9661 County Hwy 73, Conifer, CO 80433, Phone: 303-271-5925

4. Evergreen Wilderness Guides

Evergreen Wilderness Guides offer spectacular opportunities to explore the majestic Colorado Rocky Mountains, specializing in hiking, rock climbing, rappelling, and wilderness survival expeditions for beginner through expert travelers. The company, which is the only rock climbing and survival school in Evergreen, operates year-round with the exception of dangerous weather conditions and designs each tour to meet participants' needs, catering to small personal groups exclusively. Visitors can book tours by contacting the company directly via phone or email, traveling to areas within a 60-mile radius of the Denver metropolitan area. Dogs are welcome on tours, with the exception of rock climbing tours. Participants should note that temperatures frequently vary at tour sites throughout the day and should dress accordingly in layers.

4944 S Pine Rd, Evergreen, CO 80439, Phone: 303-968-0388

5. Echo Lake Park

Echo Lake Park is a lovely public park in Evergreen that has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1995, preserving the Echo Lake Lodge, constructed in 1926 by Denver-area architect Jules Jacques Benoit Benedict to mimic a traditional indigenous earth lodge. The park's namesake lake is an oligotrophic lake located near Mount Evans at an elevation of more than 10,000 feet above sea level, originally formed from glacial retreat within the Chicago Creek Valley. Beautiful subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, and limber pine tree forests surround the lake and park, which border the Roosevelt and Arapaho National Forests and the Pawnee National Grassland. Park activities include hiking, fishing, and wildlife watching, with opportunities available for day-use picnics and overnight camping.

CO-103 & Mt Evans Rd, Evergreen, CO 80439

6. Bergen Peak

Bergen Peak is a stunning mountain peak near Evergreen reaching heights of 9,708 feet above sea level, located within the Denver Mountain Park but accessible via the Elk Meadows-Jefferson County Open Space. The impressive peak is accessible via an 8.8-mile moderate out-and-back trail that is recommended for use between March and October, accessible to the public for free. Though the peak's summit offers obscured views due to its heavily-forested terrain, an overlook vantage point is offered just south of the summit, offering stunning views of nearby Mount Evans, Mount Warren, and Epaulet and Spalding Mountains. To the south, visitors can catch glimpses of Pike's Peak and the Denver skyline. Dogs are permitted on the trail with leashes.

7. Shadow Mountain Gallery

Shadow Mountain Gallery is a charming artist-operated gallery in downtown Evergreen, serving as one of the region's prime artistic destinations since 1991. The cooperative gallery is operated by a group of more than 40 member artists, whose works are showcased throughout the year as part of special rotating exhibitions. Artists work in a wide variety of mediums, including watercolor and oil paintings, stained glass, decorative ceramics, woodworking, jewelry, photography, leather, and mixed media. The gallery is regularly staffed by artists from the cooperative, offering opportunities for visitors to chat with artists about pieces on display and learn about the creative process.

28186 CO-74, Evergreen, CO 80439, Phone: 303-670-3488

8. Mount Goliath Natural Area

Mount Goliath Natural Area protects North America's largest stand of bristlecone pine trees, serving as an internationally-recognized site for alpine ecology study. The natural area is centered around the majestic Mount Goliath, which stands near Idaho Springs within the Arapaho National Forest near Mount Evans. Some of Colorado's oldest trees are housed within the natural area, including trees growing as old as 2,500 years old. Visitors can explore the United States' highest cultivated botanical garden facility at the Dos Chappell Nature Center or traverse the 1.5-mile M. Walter Pesman Trail, which passes beautiful subalpine forest and wildflower areas. Guided garden explorations are offered Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays during the summer months, with free shuttle service offered to the nature center.

Mt Evans Rd, Evergreen, CO 80439

9. The Evergreen Gallery

The Evergreen Gallery is one of the Colorado area's premiere art galleries often described as whimsical and a favorite place to bring visitors. This gallery opened in 1987 by Meryl Sabeff, who continues to show her functional pottery. Today, the gallery is owned by fine art photographer Beth Riser, and showcases the work of more than 90 talented artists throughout the state, including artists working in painting, ceramics, woodworking, glass, photography, textiles, jewelry, and mixed media. Many pieces of art are inspired by the gorgeous landscape of the Colorado region, with textures and light elements meant to evoke the majesty of the Rocky Mountains and other natural wonders. Artwork on display includes Arlyss Grosz’s glass aspen sculptures and Henry Bergeson’s wood-carved kaleidoscopes.

28195 CO-74, Evergreen, CO 80439, Phone: 303-674-4871

10. The Beaver Brook Watershed Trail

The Beaver Brook Watershed Trail is a lovely out-and-back trail in Evergreen that offers an easy route for hikers of all ability levels, spanning the Beaver Brook Watershed. Unlike the majority of area hiking trails, the trail begins at its highest elevation point, traversing downward toward the watershed. As the majority of the hike traverses a former four-wheel drive route, most of the trail features sand and dirt terrain. Hikers can loop around the reservoir at the terminus of the hike or continue back up the hiking route after reaching the bottom. Dogs are permitted on leash at the trail, which passes a variety of native wildlife, including mountain lions, elk, deer, and wild turkeys. Horseback riding is permitted at the watershed, along with snowshoeing and cross-country skiing during the winter months.

25123 Squaw Pass Rd, Evergreen, CO 80439