Private and Tranquil Retreat at Beaver Brook Watershed

If you enjoy the scenery and ambiance of Evergreen, but Evergreen Lake has become too crowded for your tastes, Beaver Brook Watershed (owned by the City of Golden) is an excellent alternative. It’s a small, secluded area and won’t be open for paddleboats or motorized recreation anytime soon. This is the perfect spot for someone looking for a simple, tranquil recreational area to do some walking, fishing, or picnicking.

The Upper Beaver Brook reservoir is a pretty little lake surrounded by hills of evergreen trees. The west end has a lovely grassy marsh area with Squaw Mountain as the backdrop. A maintenance road goes partially around the dam, and a trail goes rest of the way if you care to circle the lake.

The lake is about 0.5 miles from where you park on Old Squaw Pass Rd. Slip through the small opening at the gate and continue on the gravel road until you find the water. The road forks, but either direction brings you there: the right fork goes to the dam wall and the left is an access road toward the west end. I saw some vague references online to an unmarked trail that lies between Upper Beaver Brook (Number 3A) Reservoir (the one detailed in this article) and Lower Beaver Brook (Number 2) Reservoir that lies to the northeast. I have not yet explored this hike, but I will be checking it out next time I go.

• Hiking
• Mountain biking on trails
• Snowshoeing
• Cross country skiing
• Picnicking
• Horseback riding
• Dogs are permitted on leash only

• Motorized vehicles
• Vandalism
• Fires
• Target shooting
• Cutting down trees
• Swimming and entry into the water
• Dogs in the water
• Dumping

Camping and special events by permit only.