Evergreen isn’t exactly easy to find. While signs make it look like it’s a quick turn off of I-70 just past Genesee and Buffalo Bill’s Grave, it’s actually 15 minutes from the highway along the winding Colorado 74 to get to where the history and fun starts.
Or, more Coloradoish is the drive from the bottom side of the 74 loop from Red Rocks, through Kittredge and straight into the shops, bars and cafes that make up what’s sort of a “downtown.”
That’s the thing about Evergreen. There is no real Main Street. There’s not supposed to be. Evergreen is about being outside, and then talking about it later over dinner or a beer. If you want endless boutiques and candy stores, try Frisco. If you want real Colorado, welcome to Bear Creek and Highway 74.
This is a place created for leisurely walks around an idyllic lake or rewarding hikes or mountain bike rides along seriously green trails. Evergreen is no misnomer. The region sits along a belt of snow and rain, a place where pine trees like to grow.
Main attractions to the area include the Three Sisters Park, a former working ranch that boasts trails you can mosey along or huff-and-puff climbs that deliver stunning views near the top of Evergreen Mountain. There are two trailheads with parking along Buffalo Park Road. Bring real shoes and water for the climbs. Watch for fast-moving storms in the summer.
The Evergreen Lake Park (29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, evergreenrecreation.com) is the kind of unspoiled acreage that was paved over in the metro area a while ago. The 55-acre park and lake are worth the trip up here alone, as there’s plenty to do in the Lake House and around. About 300,000 people visit the park each year, but between the 1.3-mile loop and one-acre park, it’s never really too crowded. The lake has a natural boardwalk and a nature walk lakeside is bohemian enough without being enigmatic that everyone should do it at least once. In the winter, we’re talking Norman Rockwell ice-skating. In the summer, it’s travel-brochure strolls.
If you prefer hikes to be from the car door to the front door, there’s plenty of Evergreen to see at the historic Hiwan Homestead Museum (4208 S. Timvervale Dr., 720-497-7650). At the center of the grounds, is a 25-room log lodge that began in 1893 as a one-room cabin. The entire compound is a giant museum boasting a large collection of Native American artwork on permanent display. The museum is open daily, except Mondays, and admission is free.
Cafes and restaurants are scattered along the highways. Always good but pricey is The Willow Creek restaurant (29029 Upper Bear Creek Road, 303-674-9463, willowcreekevergreen.com) overlooking the lake. The Moroccan-style lamb with spicy lentils and a cool raita rocks. For cheap and a good story, try the Tin Star Café (28025 Evergreen Parkway, 303-679-1155, tinstarcafe.com). Really. Great BBQ, killer doughnuts. Eat there or take it to the lake. 28025 Highway 74, in the downtown area. The Pig Pile is only $7.
The legend is the Little Bear (28075 Bear Creek Road, 303-674-9991, littlebearsaloon.com) saloon. Those people probably look like bikers because the Western saloon is a staple for riders around the mountain towns. But this is no biker bar. There’s live music here almost every night, and the cover is usually low on weeknights. Friday and Saturday nights attract high-level regional talent to play, so be prepared for $10 and higher per head. If you can’t make the Little Bear, you didn’t go to Evergreen. n