Homes in Upper Bear Creek in Evergreen are west of downtown and Evergreen Lake where the road winds up the canyon toward the snow capped peaks of Mount Evans through the broad alpine meadows creating the headwaters of Bear Creek.
Upper Bear Creek is a popular scenic drive and cyclist route as visitors follow the road past some of the greatest estates and most valuable real estate in Evergreen and the mountains west of Denver. Beginning in one of the oldest Denver Mountain Parks, Dedisse Park, which includes what is occasionally referred to as “the mirror of the mountain parks” Evergreen Lake and the Lake House create an impressive focal point for eager photographers hoping to capture the grandeur of this ideal setting. The Keys On The Green serves as the gatekeeper to Upper Bear Creek, a 1920’s octagonal log cabin restaurant featuring one of the most comprehensive wine lists in Evergreen.
Glen Eyrie
As you enter Upper Bear Creek canyon and pass through Dedisse Park you’ll find Glen Eyrie on the left (south) side of the canyon. Glen Eyrie is actually a stone, Tudor style castle built just after the civil war outside of Colorado Springs near the Garden of the Gods State Park. I haven’t been able to find any connecting history between the two places but in Upper Bear Creek Glen Eyrie is comprised of 20 rustic mountain homes on 25 platted home sites along Upper Bear Creek Road and Glen Eyrie Drive.
Originally the home sites in Glen Eyrie were offered for sale very inexpensively to help motivate early settlers to the area choose to live here. Now, rustic homes sit on 1/4 to 2 acres and can command prices approaching a million dollars for a newer home along the creek while the majority of the homes are remodeled versions of the original 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s cabins.
Some of the highest, southernmost, homes in Glen Eyrie back to Alderfer Three Sisters Open Space Park although access would be very steep and heavily treed—I don’t know of any trails connecting these properties with the park trails.
Troutdale in The Pines
A little deeper into Upper Bear Creek is the prominent enclave of custom homes in Troutdale in The Pines, a gated, Evergreen Luxury home community with a list of owners that reads like a who’s who of important people. These remarkable homes overlooking Bear Creek were built between 1997 and 2007 and almost all are larger than 6,000 square feet. Troutdale in the Pines includes majestic homes on Wildflower Court, Fox Glove Drive and Goldeneye Court. Homes higher, toward the lip of the canyon can be significantly more affordable in a unique canyon-rim environment.
Prior to the new construction of these trophy homes, Troutdale was a historic hotel and retreat providing entertainment and a luxurious setting to the rich and famous from around the country. A huge hotel with impressive grounds and amenities was once located here once boasting more than 100 rooms and 45 rustic mountain cabins!
As you drive up the canyon you’ll find a variety of impressive architecture including Alpine Chalets, Rustic Western, Historic Stone, Log and Timber Frame construction and classic streamside styles. These are bigger, 
bolder homes than you’ll find elsewhere in Evergreen with extensive integration of outdoor spaces into the construction and intelligent efforts to create private and intimate retreats blended into this unique topography. Homes in Upper Bear Creek along the creek are legacy quality homes that rarely are available for sale.
Many of the estates in Upper Bear Creek look as though they grew out of the canyon walls and are nestled into the various crags and nooks that the creek has carved. Many homes have achieved a superior effect by integrating the rock outcroppings, frequent waterfalls, towering pines and the occasional stone pinnacle into landscape and architecture.
Beyond the magnificent mansions along the creek are a variety of subdivisions within Upper Bear Creek in a wide variety of price ranges and conditions. The key in the vast range of market values in Upper Bear Creek is the same as anywhere: location, location, location. While the creekside home sites with views and rock outcroppings offer a world class environment and values to match– once you venture off of the creek or up off of the valley floor the property values are much the same as elsewhere in Evergreen. While there is always prestige associated with “living in Upper Bear Creek” related to driving through this area the fact is some of stone walls along the creek might cost more than the average home in Diamond Park!
Rosedale Acres in Evergreen
In the location of the old, historic Rosedale Ranch 25 home sites are located on the north side of Upper Bear Creek along South Skyline Drive and Valley View Drive. These canyon-side homes are on the sunny, North side (so they receive some of the southern exposure) of the canyon getting a lot of sunlight and views across the valley. This community is almost completely built out (only a few vacant lots). The majority of cabins here were built in the 1950’s, there are a few in the 1960’s 1970’s and even a couple that are new.
As I write this post I see there is a bank owned home in Rosedale Acres that will be going to auction shortly. It’s an +/-800 square foot cabin with a minimum bid of $49,000! If you are interested in bidding on this home please let me know. I have extensive experience in real estate auctions and can help you properly prepare for this event.
Rosedale has dirt roads with steep grades in general I say–this is not a car friendly neighborhood but many of the four wheel drive’s could be adequate.
Segers or Segers Evergreen Acres
36 platted home sites on the densely forested South side of Upper Bear Creek, accessed from Meadow Brook. Homes in Segers are along East and West Summit Trail, Bergen View Trail, and Columbine Circle. I estimate that approximately half of the home sites have been built on with the remaining lots vacant. These are smaller homes than the mansions along the creek but are on large yards of 1-5 acres. The majority of homes here have been built since 1990 although there are a few 1940’s and 1950’s cabins hidden in the trees here and there.
The highest and southernmost homes in Segers Evergreen Acres back to the beautiful, if remote, Elephant Butte Park and a few of the westernmost home sites have great views of Mount Evans.
Segers is easy to miss since the road sign for Meadowbrook Lane is hidden in a cluster of pines and just above a long cluster of mailboxes. Like Rosedale, Segers is not very car friendly. Steep and narrow roads with questionable maintenance. Just so you’re clear; yesterday, I was in Segers previewing a home for sale for a client and on the way down from the top, a minivan rounded the corner in front of me. The minivan decided to back down to a wide enough place for me to pass. Not too bad if you’re used to this sort of thing– but you wouldn’t want to be driving a Toyota Tercel with bald tires here!
Clear Creek County Subdivisions
Higher up Upper Bear Creek you’ll cross into Clear Creek County with it’s own collection of Upper Bear Creek subdivisions:
Riddles
Diamond Park
Greystone Lazy Acres
Evergreen West
Circle K Ranch Estates
Just above The Tallgrass Spa
Bendemeer Tract
Bendemeer Valley
Bendemeer Park
Bear Creek Estates
Peaceful Mountain
Eagle’s Nest
Yankee Creek
Singing River Estates
Woodhaven Preserve
I’ll discuss these Clear Creek Evergreen subdivisions in my next Upper Bear Creek article.
The easiest way to learn more about real estate for sale in these areas is to use this map based search tool:
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