If the lot is full: hikes near Evergreen

When Maxwell Falls is packed

Maxwell Falls’ two lots are small, and on a sunny summer weekend or holiday they fill fast. Before you give up, check the overflow lot at the lower trailhead and the legal road parking described on our parking page. If there’s still nowhere sensible and safe to park, go somewhere else. Evergreen has plenty of good trails, many with bigger lots, and most of the ones below are a short drive away. These are the ones we send friends to.

Before you drive anywhere, check the lots. Jefferson County Open Space runs a live parking dashboard (also available in its Lot Spot app) that shows how full its park lots are right now. Otherwise it’s easy to trade one full lot for another.

If the lot is full

Both trailheads have small, free lots that fill fast on busy summer days, especially weekends and holidays. The lower main lot holds fewer than 18 vehicles and its overflow lot beside the road about 15 to 20. The upper lot holds about 15, with a little roadside parking on Black Mountain Drive below it. If there’s no space:

Park on the road only where it’s legal and safe. Parking along Brook Forest Road is allowed where it’s sensible, safe and not signed “No Parking.” Those signs mark the stretches where the shoulder is too narrow. Both tires on the road side must be completely off the road, past the white painted edge line: Colorado law bars parking on the main-traveled part of a highway, and the “roadway” doesn’t include the shoulder. Never block a travel lane or a driveway (Jefferson County parking rules).
Expect tickets on busy days. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office enforces parking here, and neighbors see cars ticketed most crowded weekends.
Try the other trailhead, about 2.8 miles away by car. See Trailheads and parking.
Come back before 8 a.m. or on a weekday. Either one makes a big difference.
Hike somewhere else. Evergreen has good alternatives, and Jefferson County Open Space posts live parking levels for its parks. See Hikes near Evergreen.

Elk Meadow Park (Jefferson County Open Space)

A large open-space park just north of Evergreen that Jefferson County calls “the most likely place in the Open Space system to view herds of elk.” The Bergen Peak hike from the Stagecoach Boulevard trailhead is a big day: 4.7 miles one way to the 9,708-ft summit, with about 2,100 ft of climbing. The meadow loops are shorter and fine for kids. The Stagecoach Trailhead reopened in October 2025 after improvements, with a new restroom and more parking. Go early or late in the day if you’re hoping to see elk.

Alderfer/Three Sisters Park (Jefferson County Open Space)

Close to downtown Evergreen, with “the most trails per acre of any foothills park,” old stands of ponderosa pine and the landmark rock formations known as the Three Sisters and The Brother (Jefferson County). It has two trailheads on Buffalo Park Road, and the expanded West Trailhead is open. If you want a short or medium loop without leaving town, this is the one.

Lair o' the Bear Park (Jefferson County Open Space)

A creekside park on Highway 74 below Evergreen, known for its picnic tables and fishing on Bear Creek (Jefferson County). The Bear Creek Trail follows the water west into the neighboring Denver Mountain Parks, which makes it an easy, shady choice on a warm day and a good one for families. Bikers get their own one-way trail, Rutabaga Ride.

Mount Falcon Park (Jefferson County Open Space)

Above Morrison and Indian Hills, with trailheads on both sides. Its history is the draw: the ruins of John Brisben Walker’s castle, the cornerstone of a would-be summer White House, and a wooden lookout tower you can climb (Jefferson County). The West Trailhead, on Mount Falcon Road in Indian Hills, is the closer start if you’re coming from Evergreen. The views from the top are good, too.

Meyer Ranch Park (Jefferson County Open Space)

Off US-285 on the Conifer side of the foothills, with wildflower meadows, lodgepole pine forest and aspen groves (Jefferson County). Note that Jefferson County plans a full closure of Meyer Ranch Park beginning October 19, 2026 for forest health work, so check the park page before you go this fall. When it’s open, the forest loops are easy to moderate and the aspens are worth the trip in fall.

Staunton State Park (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

A large state park near Pine, with granite cliffs, meadows, and its own waterfall, Elk Falls (Colorado Parks and Wildlife). Elk Falls is a long day: the state trail database lists the most direct route, from the Lazy V trailhead, at about 7.5 miles round trip with about 1,100 ft of climbing. A state park pass is required, and CPW notes the Lazy V lot fills early on busy weekends. So it isn’t a perfect escape from crowds, but it is a bigger waterfall.

Cub Creek Trail (#40), Arapaho National Forest

Maxwell Falls’ next-door neighbor, and usually much quieter. Cub Creek Trail starts from its own trailhead off Carol Lane, reached by Brook Forest Road and Black Mountain Drive, and runs about 3.8 miles west toward the Mount Evans Wilderness boundary, climbing into higher, quieter country. The Forest Service lists the trail as open for hiking, horses and mountain biking, with dogs on a hand-held leash and a free self-issued permit required inside the wilderness. The trail post at the trailhead (September 2026) adds “No e-bikes” and no motor vehicles, and a Mount Evans Wilderness information board stands beside it; bikes must stop at the wilderness boundary. The start of the trail is covered by the same day-use order as Maxwell Falls: no camping, no campfires, and no one in the area between sunset and sunrise (USFS trailhead page). Recreational shooting is prohibited there too, under a permanent Forest Service order.

Before you switch plans

Each park has its own rules on dogs, hours and fees. Check the park’s page before you go.
Jefferson County Open Space parks are separate from Maxwell Falls, which is National Forest land.
If you want to try Maxwell Falls another time, weekdays and early mornings are the easiest. See Trailheads and parking.
Making a day of it? See things to do in Evergreen, or our list of waterfall hikes near Denver.