Evergreen, CO is among the capital’s nearest mountain towns. Many locals typically commute to Denver Metro for work. Evergreen’s historic area has a quaint strip of tiny bars and restaurants.
Evergreen lies in the Rocky Mountains, 19 miles west of Denver, Colorado at 7.220 feet or 2.200 m.
The CDP has a total area of 11.6 square miles or 30 km2, of which 11.6 square miles (30 km2) is land, and 0.1 square miles or 0.26 km2 is water.
Evergreen is an unincorporated area; several entities provide services traditionally provided by a city government. The county maintains the roads (less State Highway 74), regulates planning and zoning, offers elementary and secondary education through its school board, and provides law enforcement through its sheriff’s office. Evergreen Fire and Rescue offers fire safety and medical emergency response. The water and sewer systems function under the Evergreen Metropolitan District administration.
Evergreen has a humid continental climate with four distinct seasons. Summertime is mild to hot, and wintertime is chilly with an average of 85 inches or 215 cm of snowfall year-round.
The Colorful History of Evergreen, CO
The town was once a hunting ground for the Ute Indians until the town has become a significant hub for outdoor adventures. By 1860, settlers had transformed the land into farms and ranches, and the inhabitants had developed a lumber trade-based economy.
Evergreen gradually became renowned for its connection to nature and beautiful countryside. It was a famous destination for Old Hollywood celebrities, which included Greta Garbo and Teddy Roosevelt. Currently, the city has everything from arts and entertainment, dining, and sports to enjoyable festivals every year.
Places To Visit in Evergreen, CO
Evergreen is very rich in places to visit for your recreational needs. Below are the popular areas for camping, fishing, and hiking.
Camping:
Before heading outdoors, use these handy camping tips to make your next great adventure easier, fun, safe and perhaps reminiscent of your indoor-outdoor living experience at home.
Echo Lake Camp
Evergreen is one of Denver’s nearest mountain towns, full of coveted mountain real estate and still close to the city. There are a few places to camp west of Evergreen near Mount Evans, which is 14,270 feet. Founded in 1922, Echo Lake Camp is situated on top of an alpine granite ridge overlooking the Lake Tahoe Basin.
- Echo Lake itself is within a 15-minute walk of the resort, where you might be able to pick up some landscaping ideas for your place back home.
- Desolation Wilderness, a renowned hiking and backpacking destination with hundreds of miles of trails, is within walking distance or a 10-minute water taxi across Echo Lake.
- Temperatures are generally in the 70s during the day to low 80s during the summer, and in the 50s at night, as it should also be noted to not forget to bring external lighting sources for your camping trip.
- You can camp in conventional High Sierra tent-cabins complete with bunk beds or cots and mattresses. Guests have to have their linen or sleeping bags issued. No food can be kept in the tents due to bear scavenging, but bear-proof food storage is given in the camp at several locations.
Mount Evans
The Arapaho National Forest surrounds Evergreen and Mount Evans. The Mount Evans Wilderness Area lies within. If you are looking for great opportunities for hiking and backpacking nearby, this area is a great choice.
Camp Rock Campground
Within Mount Evans, there are two campgrounds – Echo Lake (which was already mentioned above) and Camp Rock Campground. You can find the Camp Rock Campground when you take the Squaw Pass Path.
- Camp Rock Campground, which involves a detour onto Bear Creek Lane, is the nearest by mileage to Evergreen.
- It takes about 45 minutes to drive from Evergreen to this campground.
- This is the preferred choice for those who have an established state fishing or hunting license because it is a state wildlife area.
Fishing:
Evergreen Lake
This is a vast lake that is located in Evergreen downtown. It is famous for relaxation year-round, such as wake-less summer boating and winter ice skating. The Lake House leases vessels from early May to mid-September, namely canoes, paddle vessels, kayaks, sailboats, and fishing boats.
Evergreen Lake, located in the heart of Evergreen and provides year-round fishing.
Echo Lake
It is a 20-mile windy, scenic Evergreen path. It is stocked with trout all year-round. You may begin a scenic drive up Mt Evans Byway in the summer, which closes late September or early October and reopens at the end of May. Further up the byway, Summit Lake freezes over too long to store trout.
Great County
Fishing is just fantastic in Great County. There are fishing opportunities for all – with 1,000 miles of streams and rivers, almost 1,000 acres of high mountain lakes, 11,000 acres of reservoirs, and stocked ponds. No matter what the season is (winter, spring, summer, or fall), you can still go wading, swimming, boating, ice-fishing, or shore-fishing. The combination of great fishing, wildlife watching, and breathtakingly fantastic scenery, from remote and pristine to easily accessible areas, is a lifetime experience. Some of its waters are known as Gold Medal Waters by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. It has high-quality cold-water ecosystems that produce large trophy-sized trout. Twenty-five percent of Gold Medal Waters in Colorado are found in Grand County.
Hiking:
Several of the best hiking locations are right in the town of Evergreen.
- Bear Creek
- This has a paved path from downtown up past Evergreen Lake.
Mount Evans Wilderness
- Great for both backpacking and day-hiking.
Evergreen, CO’s Different Festivities
Evergreen Lake Winter Festival
- Held in February. Popular events may include ski and snowboard jam rail events, an ice bike race, ice fishing derby, ice hockey, family games.
Evergreen Rodeo
- This event is during mid-June. There would be two days of rodeo performances, and a Saturday parade will be held over Father’s Day Weekend.
Evergreen Jazz Festival
- A spectacular event in June in a mountain environment, with almost a dozen bands and various intimate venues, traditional jazz festival for three days.
Evergreen Summerfest
- This is held every July, and thousands attend the festival in the Buchanan Park. It features two-day arts, crafts, concerts, and beer and wine tastings.
Evergreen Winterfest
- A spectacular event held every November. You can head over to the fake “Main Street” of Evergreen High School for arts, and crafts vendors lined hallways. Pick up something one-of-a-kind to send to someone for the holidays to come.
