bergen peak

This was a great hike; beautiful and challenging, especially considering we just came in from Houston the day before. If you're flatlanders like us, give yourself about 6 hours. That will be enough time to stop and catch your breath and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Bring enough water, and bring your binoculars too!

I'm with the other reviewers regarding mtn bikes. They are very courteous but just too many of them on wkends! Plan for about 5 hrs on the hike figuring 2mi per hour coverage, unless you're very fit or a jogger. Pay attention at top since it's not totally obvious as to where the peak is. Sometimes in the winter, the trail is dicey and you may need your yaktrax slip on chains. Dogs need to be on leash at this park. Definitely one of my fav Evergreen hikes! One last remark is that in the summer, particularily in late July and all of August the afternoon thunderstorms can get quite electric, and so advise being off of the mountain by 12 noon or 1 ish.

Bergen Peak is a wonderful hike. Long and a bit challenging, typically 3-4 hours round trip. Take plenty of water for you and your dog. The view is wonderful from the top!

The trail to Bergen Peak starts in the Elk Meadow Open Space Park, financed by the Jefferson County sales tax. It's roughly 10 mi round trip. Bring a couple water bottles as the first part of the trip is mostly uphill albeit a more gradual ascent. I'd reccommend you be in some sort of physical shape. I'm 68 and hike it, but I live in Evergreen and have adapted to the altitude. I'd recommend this hike and, heck, you have a good chance of seeing some elk.

Avoid weekends if you can because trying to get out of the way of the bikers gets a bit old after a while...

Hike to the top of Bergen Peak and enjoy breathtaking views of the Divide, Pikes Peak, and the greater Denver area below. This trail is opular with mountain bikers and trail runners too. While I have always entered the trail from the Stagecoach Blvd parking lot across from the Bark Park, there are several ways to access the trails.

I've done this 3 times, and it's nice in spring when it's not crowded, there's still snow on the trail (traction is really helpful through March to mid-April), and there's still a nip in the air.

It's a great place to work out; if you're in good shape, you can chase the bicycles up the hill. The view at the top is nice but not spectacular, but it gives you a chance to get into the mountains without having a five-hour drive back on I-70 on a Sunday night.

This is not a short or easy hike for the novice. We did our hike at the end of December so the temps were in the mid-20's. Dress in layers as the temps drop with elevation. Lots of switchbacks and a steady rise to the top. Nice trail to follow. We went up via the Too Long Trail route and returned along the Bergen Trail route which made for a nice 9 mile (approx) loop. Views of Pike's Peak and others from the top are very nice. Plan on 4-5 hours for this hike depending on your fitness level. We passed a herd of Elk resting in the pines on the way up and then the herd greeted us at the end of the hike in the parking lot as is to say 'Thanks for spending the day with us'.

This hike is about 10 miles round trip and it takes all day when children area along. I really like that there is so much variety in the landscape and we enjoy a constantly changing landscape. During this hike, you can expect that the weather is likey to change because our mountain climate fluctuates wildly each day, so take a rain pancho for emergencies. We always pack our lunch and eat at the summit. Be sure to pack your trash out!