Evergreen Lake Colorado Hike Guide
Evergreen Lake is the focal point of activities in Evergreen, Colorado. Whether you are walking your dog or ice fishing, the lake has a variety of activities to keep you busy year round. The hike around the lake is short and sweet with good views of the lake and surrounding foothills.
Evergreen Lake Quick Facts
Evergreen Lake Rating: ★★ (⅖ Stars)
Distance: 1.4 miles (around the entire lake)
Elevation Start: 7,351 ft
Highest Point at Lake: 7,415 ft
Total Elevation Gain: Under 100 ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Difficulty: Walk in the Park What does this mean?
Class: Class 1
Season: Year Round – Occasional Snow December – March
Directions to Evergreen Lake
Trailhead: Evergreen Lake House
Getting Here: There are three main areas to park at Evergreen lake, but I would recommend the main parking area at the Evergreen lake house. You can enter Evergreen Lake House into your favorite navigational device. Essentially, you want to navigate towards downtown Evergreen and head to Upper Bear Creek Road. If you continue on this road for about ¼ of a mile, the entrance to the lake house will be on your left. Many people from Denver will try to park on the east or north side of the lake which I do not recommend. The parking situations here is very crowded and often you are parking illegally.
Parking: There are three main areas to park at Evergreen lake, all of them are free. The first (and main parking spot) is at the lake house off of Upper Bear Creek Rd. You can enter Evergreen Lake House into your favorite navigational device. This lot can fit 60 cars and has access to indoor bathrooms during certain hours. The lake house is where you would park to rent boats or skates during the winter. If you want to park elsewhere, there is a small lot at the north side of the lake (can fit about 10-15 cars) on Colorado 74. Otherwise, you can head to the east side of the lake on Colorado 73 that can fit 10 cars or so. Both of these areas do not have any sort of restrooms.
Summary
Dogs: Evergreen Lake is dog friendly, but must be kept on a leash. There are always lots of other people/dogs on this hike, so if your furry friend has problems getting along with either, keep that in mind.
Camping: Camping is not here, seek alternative lodging in the area.
Make it a Loop: The hike around Evergreen Lake is a loop with the option to start at a variety of different parking areas.
X Factors: Crowds
Looking for a serene hike where you can enjoy the scenery, let your dog off leash and get lost in nature? Look elsewhere. This is a great short walk, I wouldn’t even call it a hike, for families and those visiting the area. However, there will almost always be a lot of other people on the trail, regardless of the time of year or day of the week. Don’t get me wrong, Evergreen Lake is still a nice spot to visit, just temper your expectations.
Mick’s Tip:
- If you can, visit this park during the week. Weekends at the lake are usually a complete clusterfuck, especially during the summer.
- There are a couple of areas around the lake to park, but if you want to avoid a parking nightmare, look for parking at the lake house on Upper Bear Creek Road (west side of the lake).
- Hiking not your thing? Check out the mini hockey rinks and ice skating in the winter or boating/paddleboarding in the summer.
Best Views: I think the views on this hike will be good or bad depending on where you live. If you are not from Colorado or live down in Denver, this is a beautiful spot to take a bunch of pictures. Live in the area and you become jaded to the views very quickly. The lake is a good spot to shoot at night, after a fresh snow or during a colorful sunset. If you are looking for stunning landscape shots, this is not your spot because you will have signs of humanity at every angle. However, this is a good spot for a variety of portrait photos. If you are the casual photographer, bring a phone and you will be good to go.
Evergreen Lake Hike Route
Gear Needed
- Footwear
- Optional: Camera
My Trip to Evergreen Lake: February 2018
Evergreen Lake is in my backyard, so I having nothing entertaining to contribute for a trip summary. If you have any questions, feel free to message me on Twitter, Instagram or leave a comment below! Here are some shots around the lake (during the winter) to give you a feel of what it looks like.
