A Walk Around Evergreen Lake

 My husband and I took a short drive west to Evergreen, Colorado, last week to take a walk around the lake that is located there.  Evergreen is at an elevation of 7,220 feet (2,200m) and was named for the plentiful pine, spruce, and fir trees that grow at its location.

The area which is now Evergreen Lake was originally the scenic mountain ranch of 1860s pioneer Julius C. Dedisse.  His 420 acres of land were purchased by the City & County of Denver in 1919.  In 1927-28 Denver constructed the 35-foot (11 m) high Evergreen Dam as a flood control measure on the notoriously flood-prone Bear Creek, creating the 55-acre (220,000 m) Evergreen Lake. The surrounding area is now part of Denver Mountain Parks and is called Dedisse Park after the original landowner.  The lake has become a favorite recreational part of the Evergreen Community with ice skating and hockey in the winter and boating and paddleboarding rental opportunities in the summer.  The beautiful rustic Evergreen Lake House, seen in the photo above, is available for rental and many weddings have been held there.

Please click on to enlarge to read the information.

Bear Creek runs through the Bear Creek Watershed that extends from Mount Evans Wilderness to Morrison and it is a tributary of the South Platte River in central Colorado.

 

Parts of the land surrounding the lake have become marshlike with the seasonal ebb and flow of the creek.

A portion of the lake perimeter consists of a boardwalk over the marsh.

The lake attracts many migrating birds and the Evergreen Audubon Society volunteers help observe and keep records of the birds sighted along Evergreen Lake and Bear Creek, as well as completing other studies. Click on the photo above to enlarge it to see a list of some recent bird sightings. The day I was at the lake I saw mainly geese and red-winged blackbirds.

The lake is now open to boating and paddleboarding and rentals are available at the lake boathouse.

I thought the marsh reeds made a pretty pattern in this area!

One of our favorite restaurants--Willow Creek--is located across the road from the lake. We look forward to being able to dine on their outdoor patio once the weather gets warmer.

Another favorite place to dine can be seen in the distance--Keys on the Green. It is located in the original octagonal clubhouse of Evergreen Golf Course, which was the first public golf course in the state of Colorado, constructed in 1925.

After our hike around the lake, we took a drive up Bear Creek Road to admire all the big beautiful houses in the area.  Can you see this one across the creek and behind the towering pine trees? 

Another house along the road had this exhibit outside for the holiday Cinco de Mayo, celebrated on May 5th.

As we headed back home we passed the historic Little Bear Saloon and restaurant in the town of Evergreen.  They have live music six nights a week, and a few years ago we attended a concert there with friends which you can see in this post. It is such a fun venue!

A drive back east down Bear Creek Canyon and we were home again, happily refreshed after a nice day out. I'm really looking forward to going on more local hikes now that the weather is improving.  We feel fortunate to be able to enjoy the outdoors again after such an unusual year. 

I hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day!

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