Evergreen, Colorado

About Evergreen

Evergreen was first settled in 1859 and named for the trees around it. It is a census-designated place, not a city; Jefferson County governs it. Most residents commute to Denver, which makes it a bedroom community with a small downtown of shops and restaurants along Highway 74 and Bear Creek.

Evergreen Lake, made by damming Bear Creek in 1927, is the center of town life, with the historic downtown boardwalk just downstream. The Denver Mountain Parks and Jefferson County Open Space parks, including Elk Meadow and Bergen Park, ring the town.

The Triple Bypass has started here since 1988. Team Evergreen, the local cycling club, built the ride into one of Colorado's largest and puts its proceeds back into local nonprofits.

Riding in Evergreen

The signature road climb is Juniper Pass on Squaw Pass Road out of Bergen Park, a long steady grade that is the first pass of the Triple Bypass. Upper Bear Creek Road and the loops toward Echo Lake and Idaho Springs are the other standard road routes; expect thin air and afternoon storms in summer.

For dirt, Elk Meadow Park and the other Jefferson County open-space parks around town have the local mountain bike trails. The local shop rents mountain, road and e-bikes.

Getting to Evergreen

Evergreen is about 30 minutes west of downtown Denver on I-70 and Colorado 74, and about 52 miles, roughly an hour, from Denver International Airport (DEN). Red Rocks is 15 to 20 minutes away. There is no practical transit from the airport; rent a car. On Triple Bypass morning the start area at Buchanan Park is closed to cars, so check the organizer's parking map.