Mount Evans is the highest peak in a massif. We are not into giving long trail descriptions on Dayhikes Near Denver, but we’d suggest you read the basic one below and check out the trail description and pdf Chicago Lakes map link in the trail profile below. Evans road typically (depends on snow) opens on the Friday of Memorial day weekend and closes after the first weekend in October of each year, depending again on weather. Sadly, just this last Spring, a wonderful father and son, visiting from out of state, lost their lives on the sides of Evans when a storm blew in and dropped a ton of snow on the mountain. It has a few switch backs along the way, the views you'll gather are simply wonderful. ... All reviews beautiful mountain lake memorial day idaho springs mt evans great picnic gift store worth a stop scenic drive ducks hiking snow scenery shelter fishing peak nature denver. Mount Evans, along with Echo Lake, was designated as a historic site by the American Physical Society in 2017, commemorating the many cosmic-ray physics experiments conducted on the mountain between 1935 and 1960. Geography. Also stopped along the way down at Echo Lake Aug 21, 2016 laura Kimble. Evans summit. The trail will turn into Idaho Springs Reservoir Road, then will return to a normal trail. You’ll pass three more mountain lakes as you punch up into the high country of Colorado’s Mt. Leave Evergreen, CO and access the Mount Evans Road and Mount Evans Recreation Area from Squaw Pass, CO 103 at Echo Lake. Overview Echo Lake Campground is located on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in central Colorado near its namesake lake at the base of Mount Evans along Hwy 103. Passing through Echo Lake Park, have a bite to eat at the Echo Lake Lodge. The closer campground to Mt. The byway leads south of town on Highway 103 to the junction of Highway 5, the entrance to Mount Evans Road. If your on your way to Mt Evans Peak, its well worth a stop to get off for a walk or a picnic at these serene Echo Lake. From I-70 take Exit 240 and then Colorado Highway 103 to Echo Lake. (Denver Post file) Cross another awesome outdoor … Summit Lake though is breath taking, absolutely beautiful. Easiest 14er Hikes; Cell Phone Reception; 13er Routes; Mountaineering Safety; Safety Videos; Difficulty Rating System; Gear List; Peak Conditions. What an GREAT hike and made our day to find the most amazing trail yet! You can park near the lake (by the picnic area) or drive up to the Echo Lake Lodge and park in one of the parking lots near the entrance to the Mt. Here is a sunrise time chart link. You may want to start early, especially in the Summer months so that you have the time to explore and to avoid our famous, afternoon Colorado thunderstorms. ", National Weather Service page for Mt. A quick-and-dirty way to summit Mt. Thanks for the recommendations! You’ll pass three more mountain lakes as you punch up into the high country of Colorado’s Mt. The road to the summit of Mount Evans is the highest paved auto road in North America, climbing to 14,260 feet above sea level. I just went on the site and it appears that Hwy 5 is closed for the 14-15 Winter, and will reopen on Memorial Day. It is generally open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It is the only place between Idaho Springs on Highway 70 and Mount Evans where you can find an excellent meal, water & other hiking needs and Mount Evans collectibles and souvenirs. Evans and Summit Lake, you are going to enter a National Park and have to pay an entrance fee. The Chicago Lakes hike begins at Echo Lake. The last 5 miles have grades of 2-5%, but because you are above 12,000 feet it will feel like 10-15% grade to top. It also has a restaurant. Her first time in the USA! When the weather is getting hot, it’s a great place for a picnic or a wonderful place to break out the hot chocolate on a snowy winter day. Facilities: There are 17 sites available. Want to take in some of Colorado’s breathtaking scenery and put some miles under your hiking boots? That will lead you to another sign about .5 mile later directing you to the trail. The owner and editor of Dayhikes Near Denver, Aaron writes every trail profile as a local guide who has hiked hundreds of miles of trails along the Front Range and deep in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. It is located 40 miles west of Denver - south of I-70 and north of Highway 285. © Copyright 2010-2020 Dayhikes Near Denver LLC, We use cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Join our Community. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Depending on how far you want to go, you can hike the 5.3 miles from Echo Lake to Lincoln Lake, or you can shorten the trip, as I did, to Vance Creek, which is 2 miles from the trailhead. Mountains . Owned by Denver Mountain Parks and is known for its excellent fishing (it is stocked yearly) and its picnic area at the north end of the lake. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. If they were, we would rename this website "paradise. The iconic peak’s snowcapped, east-facing slopes are … The Mount Evans hike starts at Summit Lake, which is the highest lake in Colorado at 3912 m above sea level. Better even yet, if your ready for a great day hike, we'd recommend to take the long trail out to Chicago Lakes!!! Length 1.3 mi Elevation gain 68 ft Route type Loop. The 2 1/2 mile hike has an elevation gain of 1,800 feet, but gives you the opportunity to climb two mountains. Echo Lake Mountain Park – Idaho Springs The picturesque Echo Lake sits at 10,600 feet at the base of Mount Evans. The first time was October and I extended it into a 14er, but wouldn’t recommend that. The elevation gain, together with the round trip distance of almost 17 miles makes this a strenuous day hike. It sure is a beautiful area! Visitors enjoy hiking, fishing and taking scenic drives along Mount Evans Road. The Echo Lake Lodge serves as the gift shop for Echo Lake and Mount Evans and has some fun memorabilia and nick-nacks in the gift shop. Evans...and maybe Mt. From the Summit Lake parking area, walk north past an old rock building to locate the start of a trail that heads toward the north end of the lake - 1 and 2.Hike to end of the lake and locate a signed trail that climbs up 13er Mt. ", Pole Creek Falls Hike near Granby, Colorado, Ypsilon Lake Hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, Lakes, Mountain Peak Views, Wildlife: Ducks and Geese, Fishing, Picnic Areas, Hiking, Connections to other hikes, Visitor Center, Camping. I’ve gone in and updated it. At Echo Lake, Highway 5 takes you 15 miles up to the summit of Mt. Evans, wrap around to the south of the summit on a rocky but well-cairned trail. The Chicago Lakes hike begins at Echo Lake. This first portion of the hike is through a healthy forest, with occasional views of Mt. I’d recommend contacting the Forest Service to find the answer. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Echo Lake Lodge (build in 1926) can be found at the entrance to Mount Evans, some 14 miles from Idaho Springs (Interstate 70) and 14 miles from the summit. Echo Lake Park, at 10,600 ft (3,230 m), represents the subalpine ecosystem, with surrounding forests of Englemann Spruce, Subalpine Fir, and Limber Pine. If you’re feeling like you want a little more challenge that offers great views you only need to hike about 10 minutes on the Chicago trail. Evans Road. The 2 1/2 mile hike has an elevation gain of 1,800 feet, but gives you the opportunity to climb two mountains. Inspired designs on t-shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world. Evans - West Ridge from Guanella Pass. Its length is … A friend came to Denver from Germany this week. The Mount Evans Scenic Byway consists of State Highway 103 from Idaho Springs, Colorado on I-70 about 13 miles (21 km) to Echo Lake, and Colorado 5 from Echo Lake 15 miles (24 km), ending at a parking area and turnaround just below the summit. The trail begins near the scenic and touristy Echo Lake and winds its way past Idaho Springs Reservoir, and eventually up to an old, bumpy forest service road. If you get as far as the lake, you will enjoy beautiful lake views at tree line, with Mt. Evans towering above. High quality Mount Evans gifts and merchandise. The road is Colorado Highway 5, and you can check its status at http://www.cotrip.org/ We continued up to the summit for some great views. Evans (14,264 feet) and Mt. The Echo Lake Campground is located near its namesake lake at the base of Mount Evans along Highway 103. Mount Evans is a great winter hike. There are great camping opportunities at the Echo Lake Campground near the lake. For detailed information on camping near Echo Lake in Mt. Still worth it, though. Echo Lake Lodge (build in 1926) can be found at the entrance to Mount Evans, some 14 miles from Idaho Springs (Interstate 70) and 14 miles from the summit. Evans, see the Recreation.gov page. Thanks. A couple of shots of Summit Lake which is about 10 miles up the road (5 miles from the summit). Next time we will be! Choose your route wisely and make sure it is in your abilities. The building itself is really cool as it is an old log cabin style building and was just full of charm. Mount Evans is a popular day trip from Denver, 60 miles (95 kilometers) east. With various routes to the summit it can be done in various ways. The trail circles Echo Lake and connects to several other trails: Chicago Lakes, Bear Track Lakes trails, which give you access to Mount Evans Wilderness Area which is full of other great hiking trails,and Mt. The trail is primarily used for hiking and nature trips and is best used from March until October. Until the Pikes Peak road was paved and opened to cyclists, Mount Evans was the big, high ride in Colorado, finishing at 14,130 feet above sea level. High in the Rockies, near Denver, Colorado, they found prime real estate at Mt. Is this still a time to go hiking on Mt Evans – or will it be to late in the season. It is generally open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Sitting at 10,600 feet, the restaurant in this log building serves up spicy buffalo chili. I am coming to Denver end of October (18-23). From Idaho Springs it’s about 28 miles of mainly uphill. Visitors enjoy hiking, fishing and taking scenic drives along Mount Evans Road. If you are hoping for the best photo opp, then I suggest getting there close as you can to the sunrise time. So, to clear this up: Beginning at Echo Lake, the trail is 4.24 miles one-way to the lake. Evans. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until November. It’s definitely a long hike, we started at Echo lake both times. Even if you could, that would be a really long hike in with a kayak on your back :). The elevation gain, together with the round trip distance of almost 17 miles makes this a strenuous day hike. Evans. Drive along the slopes of Mount Evans, a Colorado 14er standing at 14,264 ft. 5 switchbacks down from the summit, on a tight hairpin turn, is a small parking area near 13,900ft. Leave Evergreen, CO and access the Mount Evans Road and Mount Evans Recreation Area from Squaw Pass, CO 103 at Echo Lake. Anyway, I just wanted to ask how early ‘early morning’ is in terms of possibly catching the lake water standing still (if not windy). Evans or down to the Chicago Lakes basin. Loading... Close. Recreation. It’s an hour from Denver and has very short trail, but it’s a great place to introduce others to the beauty of the Rocky Mountains and to take in a high Colorado lake. Echo Lake is located along Highway 103 just north of the Mount Evans Entrance station. You’re right. The lake itself is part of the Echo Lake Mountain Park, managed by the Denver City and County. 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