Entry No. 123 — the Denver file — filed under: history

Hiwan Heritage Park & Museum (Hiwan Homestead)

Tucked in an old-growth ponderosa grove off a quiet Evergreen street is a 25-room log lodge that grew like a fungus over 50 years, and the carpenter was forbidden to fell a single tree, so the house is literally built around living pines (one still rises through the dining room). Mary Neosho Williams started it as 'Camp Neosho' in 1893; her daughter Josepha, one of Colorado's first female physicians, and Josepha's clergyman husband Canon Charles Winfred Douglas expanded it into a rambling pile with two octagonal towers and a private octagonal chapel. It's free, county-run, and almost nobody outside Evergreen knows it's there.

The move: Wander the free 25-room lodge and the ponderosa grounds, hunting for the spots where the cabin wraps around standing trees, then grab lunch in downtown Evergreen a few minutes away.

📍 Before you go The two halves work differently. The wooded grounds are self-guided and open daily, so you can wander the ponderosas anytime; the inside of the log lodge only opens for the free guided tour, and those open days are limited and shift seasonally, so check with Jeffco ahead and aim for the afternoon window. Look for the signed Hiwan Heritage Park entrance set back in the trees in the Hiwan area near downtown Evergreen; there's an onsite lot. Because the buildings are historic, expect uneven floors and stairs — it's not fully ADA accessible. Pair it with a loop around Evergreen Lake just down the road.

• 📍 Evergreen
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Indoor or outdoor

Where: 4208 S. Timbervale Drive, Evergreen, CO 80439 (Hiwan Heritage Park, operated by Jefferson County)

Hours: Free admission; county-run with seasonal/limited days (often weekend or weekday afternoons, varies by season). Confirm current open days with Jeffco before visiting.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: jeffco.us · Wikipedia · coloradoencyclopedia.org

last checked: 2026-06-07