Bergen Park - A Shaded Retreat

Bergen Park, Colorado

A sweet little preserve located just north of Evergreen, Bergen Park is an often overlooked stretch of ponderosa pine. The mature forest towers above its immediate surroundings, creating an eternally shaded retreat.

Thomas Bergen was the first to settle on the land when he built a log cabin here in 1859, calling it Elk Park. Soon after, a mining camp sprang up and the bustling community earned a stagecoach stop.

By 1915 the area was accessible by automobile, providing views of the Rockies, and situated on gentle hills well-suited for recreational use. That same year the site was donated to the City of Denver and Bergen Park was officially established.

Today, during the spring, wet snow blankets the woodland but the great trees are a study in resilience. Heavy pressure from all of the moisture bends the limber branches into impossible angles.

Morning after a big storm and the blue sky sparkles behind the crystallized conifers. During the melting process, the place becomes a robin’s playground where the birds pluck fat worms out of the black soil.

Paved trails cross-cross through the pleasant maze of red wood. It’s not a rugged wilderness whose beauty beckons but this park offers you a chance to escape from the urban environment and reconnect with the wonders of nature.

A towering forest

Snow blankets the woodland

A study in resilience

Impossible angles

Morning after the storm

Reconnect with nature

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