Beaver Brook Watershed - 2 Miles or less, Easy-Moderate

Beaver Brook Watershed (From East Parking Lot)

Type … Hike

Highlights … Views, Lake, Aspens

Seasons … All Seasons

Difficulty with Kids … Easy to Moderate due to some short steeper sections

Trail Details … 2 Miles, Out and Back (AllTrails) but easily made shorter

Closest Town … Evergreen

Shade … Plenty

Parking Situation … Small lot but typically plenty of parking

Potty Situation … No Potty!

There are a lot of different trails that will lead you to Beaver Brook watershed/lake from up Squaw Pass Road but starting at the East Lot is my fave starting point with the kids as it’s a short distance (less than a mile) to get from the car to the lake. My kids love to hike “to” something so this is a perfect short walk super close to home in Evergreen.

The only thing to be ready for with kids is that the hike is downhill to the lake (win!) but uphill on the way back. It’s nothing crazy steep, but if the little legs get tired playing at the lake, the hike back up might be slow going. This area is dotted with big aspens too so it’s a good, low-key place to enjoy some fall colors.

TRAIL TIPS

Fork in the trail. About ¼ mile into the hike, you’ll hit a fork in the trail. If you go left, you’ll continue on the wide gradual trail to the lake’s largest “beach”. If you go right, your path is going to be a slightly rocky descent that’s a bit scrambly. If you have older kids, you might prefer this way as it’s a bit more adventurous than the wider trail to the left.
No swimming! There is signage up everywhere that you aren’t supposed to swim in the water so not a place to bring your bathing suit. We usually just play along the shoreline and have never encountered any issues doing this.
Keep going! Past the lake, the trail continues up towards the other trailhead (another mile or so) if your crew wants to keep going! More beautiful aspens up this way if you’re here in the fall.
Stroller friendly. If you have an all-terrain stroller like a BOB, you could definitely bring it here as the path is pretty smooth and wide.

MAKE A DAY OF IT

Campfire Evergreen. Stop by for pizza, s’mores, and a patio hang at Campfire Evergreen. They have an outdoor playground for kids too!
Evergreen Lake. A short 20-minute or so drive from the trailhead takes you into the center of Evergreen at Evergreen Lake. You can paddle board/kayak or just have a picnic.
Mount Blue Sky. If your crew has it in the tank, you can continue driving up to the summit of Mount Blue Sky (advance time-entry pass required and only open Memorial Day - Labor Day typically). It’s about a 35-45 minute drive from the Beaver Brook East parking lot.