Evergreen, Colorado is a beautiful, bedroom community located in the higher foothills of the Rocky Mountains just west of Denver. Evergreen, elevation 7,100 feet, is a combination of an old mining town with small boutique shops and neat little restaurants. It is a modern-day upscale community with small shopping centers. Evergreen, Colorado is filled with BMW’s. Residents of this unique community can get to downtown Denver in 30 minutes or to some of the best skiing in North America in an hour or less via I-70. Evergreen is also known for the large number of elk that have taken-up residence there. Though still wild, they have become as tame as house cats.
Evergreen Golf Course is an old public golf course located on the shore of stunning Lake Evergreen just west of downtown. The beautiful parkland golf course is lined with mature Ponderosa pine trees, has become a favorite recreation spot for visitors and locals alike. The lake is fed by Upper Bear Creek that runs through the golf course into the lake.
If you want to combine a round of golf with a Mother Nature photo op, schedule a tee time in the mid to late afternoon. Or, you could just make a dinner reservation at Keys on The Green. This beautiful restaurant located in a historic log cabin constructed in 1927, features a rock fireplace centered in the octagonal building. The restaurant, with two decks for summertime outside dining offers a golf course views and is a favorite spot for viewing of wandering elk.
As the shadows of the Ponderosa pines stretch across the fairways, the elk that spend their days relaxing in the adjacent mountains move onto the golf course. Their daily feast is the sweet blue grass on the lush fairways. They quench their thirst with the refreshing cool mountain water of Bear Creek. The herd, with elk of all sizes, silently appear in increasing numbers and turn this golfer’s oasis into their own private pasture. Whether you are finishing the last few holes or enjoying a glass of wine from Keys’ extensive list, the spectacle is something to behold.
The size of the beautiful creatures and the numbers that make up the heard will take your breath away in the thin mountain air. These creatures may also be seen almost anywhere in the city of Evergreen.