Bergen Peak State Wildlife Area

Hiking in Evergreen Colorado

This is one of my favorite places to go hiking in Evergreen, Colorado. This fantastic loop hike offers a good workout and a chance to get away from crowds along with a good chance to see some wildlife, all while being close to Denver. For this reason you should be aware on the trail and keep a look out. Because it is less traveled than nearby Elk Meadows Park and it’s highly likely that you will run across animals so make noise as your hiking so as to avoid sneaking up on the wildlife.Lastly the Boulder/Golden 100 Map indicates this is a 2.8 mile hike, other sources on the internet say everything from 2.8 to 4.5. However, my Garmin GPS came out with a total distance of 3.5 miles.

Bergen Peak State Wildlife Area Details:

• Hiking
• No Mountain Biking in Bergen Peak Tract area
• Centaurs errr…. Equestrian
• Picnicking
• Restrooms are not available
• Likely to see Deer, Elk and Red-tailed Hawks
• Views of the Continental Divide
• No camping allowed in the park
• Park entrance is one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset
• No Entrance fees

Emergency contacts:

Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office @ (303) 569-3232

Jefferson County Sheriff’s office @ (303) 277-0211

Area CPW Office: Denver (303) 291-7227

If the event is life threatening dial 911

Quick Reference Map:

There is no park map for this area, fortunately the Boulder/Golden #100 Map is very useful for finding great hiking in Evergreen, Colorado. Yet another option is to use these free GXP files with a GPS or GPS application on your phone. 

Bergen State Park Wildlife Area Loop

Difficulty Rank	9 (Hard)
Views Rank	8
Distance Rank	3.5 Miles
Time Needed	About 2 Hours 15 Minute

Bergen Peak Loop Details:

• No other trail connections
• Steep elevation change in places
• Partially treed
• Closest parking area: Across the street from the park entrance
• Trailhead directions: Directly across the street from the parking area

BERGEN PEAK LOOP Trail Highlights:

• Sprawling views of several prominent mountains in the area
• Abundant Wildlife

BERGEN PEAK LOOP Review:

Starting the trail can be a bit tricky as the only notation of the trail is a small sign and small break in the barbed wire fencing on the right hand side of the road, which can be difficult to spot in summer. The parking area consists of a small pull off on the left hand side of the road with enough space for about 5 cars. 

The hike starts off with a quick rise through the trees, then veers right to a small plateau and a meadow. Next you have the option to head east on a slightly worn narrow path or continue up the hillside. Continuing left you will climb a bit more before the trail levels off some allowing you to catch your breath. Near the halfway point shortly after the trail levels off, among the lodge pole pines and Juniper bushes is a small rock cairn to the right of the trail. The cairn marks a very faint trail meandering south bound to a rock cliff with excellent photo opportunities.

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Back on the trail within half mile you come to the fork of the trail that heads back down the hill to finish the loop out. There is a large pine tree directly before the trail turns right down the hill.

Note: The main trail you follow to this point is quite wide, because of this the turnoff is easy to miss as it is far narrower and looks to be less traveled. If you come to a small creek crossing followed by a meadow running up the south face of mount Bergen you have missed the loop turn. While there are some faint deer trails that lead up the side of the mountain the trails soon die off, but they are fun to explore. The path down becomes harder to follow as it fades away  in the grass before becoming more prominent again. Finally once you near the bottom of the descent the trail narrow while skirting private property that runs along stagecoach Boulevard. The loop ends again in the first meadow clearing.

More Evergreen Colorado Hiking

Check out some of our other posts for great hiking in Evergreen Colorado, like Alderfer/Three Sisters Park. All the information listed in this post is also available in an E-book which can be purchased from Amazon. We also produce guides filled with free camping in many states. All sales assist in the creation of new content!