Evergreen, Colorado

Evergreen is one of the closest mountain towns to the capital. Naturally, many locals commute to work to the Denver Metro. The historic section of Evergreen has a charming strip of small shops and restaurants.

History

Before the town became a hot spot for outdoor recreations, the town used to be a hunting ground for the Ute Indians. By 1860 settlers had converted the land to farms and ranches and the people created an economy based on lumber trade.

Eventually, Evergreen became known for its proximity to nature and scenic landscape. It was a popular getaway for celebrities of Old Hollywood including Greta Garbo and Teddy Roosevelt. Today the town features everything from arts and culture, dining and sports, to fun annual festivals.

Main Attractions

Evergreen Lake CO Lakehouse — Evergreen Lake, Colo. Photo: Rob Lee

Evergreen Lake – A large lake situated in downtown Evergreen. It’s popular year round for recreation including wake-less boating in the summer and ice skating in the winter. The Lake House rents boats, including canoes, paddle boats, kayaks, sailboats and fishing boats from early May to mid September.

Recreation

Mt Evans Byway Biking — Biking up Mt. Evans Byway. Photo: F Delventhal

Camping:

Echo Lake has an eighteen site campground, with spots for RV’s and tents only. From downtown, take CO 74 north to Squaw Pass Rd. Follow for seventeen miles to campground.
Golden Gate Canyon State Park has several nice campgrounds, about 45 minutes away.

Read about the Camping near Evergreen and Mount Evans.

Fishing:

Evergreen Lake, in the heart of Evergreen, offers fishing year round.
Echo Lake is a windy, scenic 20 mile drive from Evergreen. It’s stocked annually with trout. In the summer you can continue a scenic drive up Mt Evans Byway, which closes in late Sept/early Oct and reopens in late May. Summit Lake, further up the byway, freezes over too long to keep trout.

Hiking:

Some of the area’s best hiking is right in town. There is a paved trail that follows Bear Creek from downtown up past Evergreen Lake.
Mount Evans Wilderness is nearby, offering both backpacking and day hiking opportunities. Take the Mount Evans Trail to the top.

Accommodations

Booking.com

Read about the Top 5 Cool Hotels in Evergreen.

Dining

Beau Jo’s Colorado Style Pizza offers Colorado style pizza, noted for it’s fat crust and whole milk mozzarella. If you’re in a hurry, go to Da Kind Soups for their extensive selection of made-from-scratch soups, as well as sandwiches. One World Cafe is a good choice for local, healthy and tasty food. Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese cuisine is served at the Saigon Landing. Tin Star Smokehouse is a discreet BBQ cafe on the boardwalk in town.

For beers go to Cactus Jack’s Saloon, a laid-back biker bar with regular live music and good burgers. Or head to Little Bear Saloon, an Old West bar with live entertainment six days a week. Try Creekside Cellars, for house made wine.

Special Events

Feb – Winter Festival at Evergreen Lake – Held in February, events include a ski and snowboard rail jam competition, an ice bike race, an ice fishing derby, ice skating, family activities, a beer garden, “The Village” and nighttime fireworks.

Jun – Evergreen Rodeo – Two days of rodeo performances and a Saturday parade held over Father’s Day Weekend in mid June.

Jul – Evergreen Jazz Festival – Three day traditional jazz festival in a beautiful mountain setting, with nearly a dozen bands and numerous intimate venues.

Jul – Evergreen Summerfest – Thousands attend this festival in Buchanan Park. It showcases arts, crafts, concerts, and beer and wine tastings over two days.

Nov – Evergreen Winterfest – Head over to Evergreen High School’s mock “Main Street” for hallways lined with arts and crafts vendors. Pick up something one-of-a-kind to gift to someone for the upcoming holidays.

Welcome to Evergreen.