I recently hiked up to the 9,147-foot peak of Berrian Mountain in Evergreen South with my daughter’s Girl Scout troop.
Berrian is a Denver Mountain Park reached by driving up, up, up through a winding, hillside neighborhood off Rte. 73 near Conifer. Despite driving through the area countless times, I never even knew it was there.
According to Wikipedia, Berrian Mountain was named after George, Dan and Ray Berrian, who came from Kansas to Colorado in 1887. Previously, it may have been called McIntyre Mountain after Duncan McIntyre, who owned property on the east side of the mountain.
According to one of the kids on our recent Girl Scout hike, there are nine geocaches hidden near the trail up to the peak of Berrian Mountain, so bring your caching equipment ad a pencil! (If you don’t know what geocaching is, watch this space – a blog about this fun 21st century activity is coming soon!)
Berrian Mountain is considered a “Conservation/Wilderness Park,” which means it’s one of a group of isolated Denver Mountain Parks parcels that were never intended to be developed. It’s not easy to access and has very little parking next to the trailhead. (Find it on this map of Denver Mountain Parks: http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/626/documents/DenverParkMap_2010_mountain_pg1.pdf. For driving access, use this map: http://goo.gl/maps/mqovf
The trip is worth it – in the two-hour hike to the summit and back, you’ll encounter prominent mountaintops, forested ridges, steep slopes, rocky outcrops, and narrow riparian corridors. You’ll sweat. Your jaw will drop in awe. Your kid will complain about the hard work of climbing. You’ll feel invigorated. At the summit, you’ll be rewarded with a steep, rocky ridge to climb on, an amazing view of south Evergreen, and the knowledge that it’s all downhill from here!
