Evergreen Elopement: Chief Mountain & Mestaa’ehehe | Denver Wedding Officiant
Summary
Plan a Colorado elopement in Evergreen within 60 minutes of Denver on Chief Mountain Trail or Mestaa’ehehe Mountain. A Denver wedding officiant guides scenic hikes with 360° views and ceremony spots. Get tips on distance, parking, weather, and difficulty. Book your Colorado elopement wedding with an unforgettable mountain backdrop.
Keywords
Denver wedding officiant; Colorado elopement wedding; Evergreen elopement; Boulder/Front Range elopement; Chief Mountain Trail elopement; Mestaa’ehehe Mountain fire tower; hiking elopement near Denver; scenic ceremony locations Colorado; Colorado ordained minister; mountain wedding backdrop
Introduction
Living in Denver offers many perks, including beautiful hiking trails in Evergreen, which are within 60 minutes of a Colorado elopement wedding. Here are two neighboring hikes I’ve recently recommended to my wedding couples in Colorado as options for a wedding ceremony elopement with an incredible backdrop. I’ve included a review from a past visit and my notes.
Chief Mountain offers 360 views for a beautiful elopement wedding in Colorado.
Time of Year: Mid-September.
Weather: 52 degrees and sunny at 9:45 am.
Cover: 65% exposed on Chief Mountain Trail and 100% exposed on Mestaa'ehehe Mountain Trail.
Time: 9:45 am - 1:09 pm.
Distance: 7.3 Miles total.
Route: Hiked to the peak of Chief Mountain Trail and back down towards Forest Service Road 252.1C. Took it to Mestaa'ehehe Mountain Peak on Fire Tower Trail before returning to my car near the Chief Mountain Trailhead.
Traffic: Moderate to high on Chief Mountain, Low on Mestaa'ehehe Mountain (some cars driving to the halfway mark).
Bathroom at Trailhead: No.
Parking: Tough to notice off the road without GPS. Busy but plenty of roadside parking within .5 in each direction of the Chief Mountain Trailhead.
Equipment: Hiking boots.
Terrain: Chief Mountain Trail is a rocky dirt trail with an incline from the first step. The similar terrain along the trail at times might lead you astray. The path to Mestaa'ehehe Mountain is a rarely used dirt road.
Experience: The Chief Mountain Trail is a short but incredibly rewarding trail with sweeping 360 views on top of a short rock scramble. Views really begin about the mile mark and offer more than enough to push its way into my top 3 trails under 12k/4 or fewer miles. For an additional 4 miles (and another peak), I took the service road halfway back down to Fire Tower Trail (really a dirt service road) and climbed the less scenic incline to the tower. It was worth the climb! The top 1/5 offered comparable sweeping views and a perspective of Chief Mountain from a couple of miles away. I was able to walk up the stairs to the balcony of the tower and enjoyed another 360 perspective. Almost as beautiful as Chief Mountain!
Cost: Free.
Difficulty: Moderate (baseline cardio endurance necessary for the steep grade up to each peak).
Colorado Ordained Minister Notes: I’ve been telling my wedding officiant clients about the Chief Mountain trail for weeks, and I couldn’t recommend a better trail with plenty of vistas for a ceremony backdrop under 4 miles. It’s a nice option for newlywed adventurers with a foundation of endurance, seeking the fruits of a big mountain hike. The peak of Mestaa'ehehe Mountain Trail offers equal joy and ceremony pads at the top. Unfortunately, the road up is less exciting. It’s only about 4 miles out and back, and still worth it if you’re seeking more options for a wedding elopement with a view! The Fire Tower (if available) is definitely a unique location for your ceremony!
When to Visit: Although the trail is close to the Front Range of Colorado, the winter season will offer a snow-covered option, considering its elevation (11,700 feet). With this being said, it may also present less than ideal temperatures and snowpack. Checking the weather will be especially important. It also serves as a cooler option than the Front Range during the summer months (although a storm may roll in between 12 pm and 2 pm). Early fall is a fantastic, dry option, while the early spring may be a bit muddy depending on the snowmelt (the sun may dry most of the trail by mid-afternoon).
You don’t need to hike 11 miles for a Colorado elopement wedding ceremony. You’ll find the perfect location after 1.5 miles atop Chief Mountain.
Chief Mountain offers quite a few flat pads for elopement ceremonies.
The sweeping panoramic views is a perfect backdrop for a wedding elopement in Colorado. This location would be perfect for up to 30 guests. You may need to helicopter the chairs to the top, though. :)
The terrain aren’t ideal for high heels but they aren’t bad for a bride in hiking boots!
Perhaps the perfect rock pad for your elopement ceremony! Just a little scramble to get to the top of the rock, though!
Mestaa'ehehe Mountain offers competing views with Chief Mountain (also perfect for a ceremony with a Colorado ordained minister). You can cut your hike in half by driving halfway up the trail.
Could there be a spot than the Fire Tower on Mestaa'ehehe Mountain for an elopement ceremony!
With a little work, anyone can reach this natural wedding venue.
About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant
Michael Moody—author of the self-improvement book Redefine Yourself: The Simple Guide to Happiness and host of the “The Elements of Being” podcast—is an ordained minister serving Denver and other towns across Colorado. He is a 2023 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award winner in both Denver and Chicago (his eighth consecutive year), was named “Best Business of 2024 and 2025” by Three Best Rated, and earned “The Best Wedding Officiant in Commerce City, Colorado for 2024” from Quality Business Awards USA. Since 2012, he has officiated more than 300 weddings.
Specifically, Michael officiates wedding ceremonies in the Denver neighborhoods of LoDo, River North, Washington Park, Cherry Creek, City Park, Central Park, Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Park Hill, Highland, Platt Park, Lower Highlands, Sloan Lake as well as the zip codes 80215, 80214, 80204, 80203, 80205, 80207, 80218, 80219, 80222, 80223, 80224, 80246, 80238, 80221, 80022, 80230, 80231, 80202, 80209, 80247, and 80210. Michael also serves as an ordained minister in Golden, Boulder, Breckenridge, Frisco, Aspen, Vail, Estes Park, and more.
If your Denver neighborhood or Colorado town isn’t listed here, no worries! Please contact Michael to propose a wedding ceremony location in a different area!
