Colorado is home to more than 40 wilderness areas. One I have not hiked much is the Byers Peak Wilderness, so we decided to visit Lake Evelyn.
This is a place very few people visit. Many of the reviews on AllTrails talk about seeing zero to just a handful of people. And almost everybody talks about the road.
The drive from Winter Park is only 24 miles, but it takes about 90 minutes because the road turns to dirt, then it gets rough, and then it gets rocky. It is a pretty drive through the forest and lots of beautiful meadows, but it's a slow drive.
The trailhead has a circle parking lot with room for several vehicles. There’s a register, a sign with a nice map of the area and two trails. The left trail goes to the St. Louis Divide Trail and Bottle Peak. The right trail goes to Lake Evelyn.
The trail starts on an old tree-lined road next to Evelyn Creek. As you walk, look up for a view of the nearby mountains.
Just under a quarter mile from the trailhead is a small, easy-to-miss sign that points hikers to cross a bridge over the creek.
As you hike the next 1.6 miles, you’ll notice the trail has a steady incline. You’re going to gain about 900 feet.
For more than half of that, the trail is near Evelyn Creek. It’s close enough to enjoy several cascades, but it’s not always close enough for your dog to get a drink, so stop when you see a good spot.
The good news about this hike is when the trail gets a little easier is when you’re near the lake. There’s a couple switchbacks but the last .75 miles only gains about 200 feet.
Evelyn Lake is a serene lake surrounded by trees. You can look for a shady spot or a tree stump to sit on. On a Friday in July, there were just three other people at the lake.
When you've had a break, you can backtrack to the trailhead or hike further out to Horseshoe Lake.
Details: The hike to Lake Evelyn is about 5 miles roundtrip with 1,100 feet of elevation gain.
Note: Be careful of dead trees in the area. Even though we visited on a calm day, we heard a tree fall and found the tree covering part of our trail on the way down.
If you have any questions, or hike suggestions, email me at HikingDebbie@gmail.com and find more great hikes by following me on Facebook at Facebook.com/DenverHikingExaminer.