Alderfer/Three Sisters Park Loop

The Alderfer/Three Sisters Park is a 1,127-acre open space in Jefferson County containing 15.3 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Dogs are also permitted in the park as long as they remain on leash. Most of the trails in the park are rated as easy or moderate with only a small section of a difficult trail. One of the more popular loops in the park starts is 6.9 miles starting from the east parking lot and follows the Sisters Trail up through this difficult rated section through larger boulders and switchbacks. After you muscle up that initial ascent, the trails are moderate or easier the rest of the way. The loop follows the Sisters Trail until it dead ends into the Ponderosa Trail. After a short time youall veer right onto the Silver Fox Trail, bringing you a walkway through a wide open meadow that intersects with the historic Alderfer Ranch. Take a break here to learn about the Alderfer family and the parkas history or do so at the nearby picnic area and parking lot restrooms before continuing across the street to the Wild Iris Loop. Follow the Wild Iris Loop until veering onto the Evergreen Mountain West Trail through long gradual incline switchbacks, dense timber, and even more downed trees.The forest is occasionally thinned by the city to prevent tree growth competition and decrease wildfire hazard, which also creates a much more open forest. You will soon run into the fork that leads up Evergreen Mountain via Summit Trail. This brings you up to the loop around the summit and the park's highest point of 8,527 feet. Take a break and enjoy the open views of Evergreen and even Mount Evans to the west. Feel free to take the short walk to the Scenic View area for a different viewpoint looking northwest. After the summit, itas all downhill from there. Just under 3.5 miles and youare back at the parking lot after a nice moderate 7-mile hike through the entire park!