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Maxwell Falls

Friends of Maxwell Falls · Evergreen, CO

Directions

Before and after your hike: Evergreen, Colorado

Make a day of it

Downtown Evergreen is only a few miles from the trailheads. The town is built around a lake, and there’s enough to do that a lot of visitors turn the hike into a whole day. These are the stops we’d point you to.

Evergreen Lake Park

Evergreen Lake is the center of town, a 55-acre park owned by the City of Denver and run by the Evergreen Park and Recreation District.

In summer people boat and fish on the lake, and a trail runs all the way around it. In winter about 8.5 acres of the lake are groomed for public ice skating, typically from late December into February or March. It’s billed as the largest Zamboni-maintained outdoor rink in North America (EPRD).

Rentals and events run out of the Evergreen Lake House, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road.

Evergreen Lake and trail
A cow elk standing in green grass among pines on the shore of Evergreen Lake in evening light.
A cow elk at Evergreen Lake on a June evening. Elk are common around Evergreen; give them plenty of room.

Downtown Evergreen

Downtown Evergreen, along Bear Creek, has shops, galleries and places to eat. It’s also one of the last places with restrooms before the trailheads (they have none). Coming from US 285, Conifer is the other.

Where to eat after your hike

Two neighborhood favorites, both on Highway 74 in Evergreen:

Check each restaurant’s site for current hours before you go. (You may see older guides recommend Country Road Cafe; it’s no longer open to the public.)

The Brook Forest Inn

On Brook Forest Road between the two trailheads stands the Brook Forest Inn, a Swiss chalet-style lodge from 1919 with a castle-like stone tower. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places (2009). The inn is closed and is no longer a public business, so it’s not a place to eat, stay or visit. Look as you drive past, but treat it as the private property it is. Please don’t stop on the road, walk the grounds or park there. Read more about its history on our Nature and history page.

Hiwan Heritage Park

The Hiwan Homestead Museum at Hiwan Heritage Park, 28473 Meadow Drive in Evergreen, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The grounds are open daily for self-guided tours, and the museum offers free guided tours Thursday through Sunday afternoons. If the weather chases you off the trail, it’s a good place to spend an afternoon.

Dedisse Park

Dedisse Park, on Upper Bear Creek Road and home to the Evergreen Golf Course, is a Denver Mountain Park that takes in Evergreen Lake, and it’s also on the National Register of Historic Places (Denver Mountain Parks Foundation).

Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway

If you’d rather drive than hike, the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway (formerly Mount Evans) climbs toward the summit of Mount Blue Sky on the highest paved road in North America. The summit road is typically open from about Memorial Day to Labor Day, and a timed-entry reservation is required through Recreation.gov. The Echo Lake area at the start of the byway is reachable year-round.

Mount Blue Sky timed entry

More hiking

If the Maxwell Falls lots are full, or you want another trail, see our list of hikes near Evergreen.

Be a good neighbor

Evergreen is a small mountain community, and Brook Forest Road is a residential road. People live along it. Drive slowly, and park only where it’s legal and safe, with the car fully past the white edge line. Keep the noise down near houses. There’s no trash service at the trailheads, so whatever you bring comes home with you.

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