Back in 2012, my wife and I were looking for a low stress, back to the basics, more simplified lifestyle, that fostered a slower-paced, nature-filled, less commercial childhood for our children.We extensively researched the Internet and from what little information we could gather, Evergreen / Conifer Colorado area seemed to fit the bill, yet we still had many questions that the Internet just couldn’t answer.
Questions Like…
We decided to take the leap (questions unanswered) in 2012, and moved from one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, Frisco, Texas to the Evergreen / Conifer, Colorado area. Let us share our story with you and try to answer a few of the many questions you may have through our experience living here in one of the most beautiful mountain towns in the United States.
As you can see from my last remark, we love it here. Love is an understatement. Evergreen / Conifer, Colorado is an amazing place to live as it has all the advantages of living in a small mountain town with the big city access (the heart of downtown Denver is only a 30 minute drive).
Moving from Texas, however, we were concerned about the weather. We imagined being snowed in for months with snow drifts blocking our front door and digging our way to our snow-buried cars. Well, at least that was my wife’s vision. In reality, the weather is, how do I say it, heavenly!
View this Video on Why We Moved to
the Evergreen / Conifer Area.
Where is Conifer Co located?
Conifer Colorado is a mountain community located just 25 minutes West of the Denver metro area via Highway 285. It is also a sister community to Evergreen, Bailey and Pine, CO.
Conifer is a community primarily consisting of families. Conifer, CO has a population of 8,480 with a median age of 47. There are a total of 3,392 total households. See below for more details on Conifer Co demographics.
What’s there to do in Conifer, CO?
Conifer, Colorado is an amazing place to live especially if you enjoy the outdoors. Imagine living in a pine tree forest with cascading mountain views. Conifer has access to many open space parks like Staunton State Park and Flying J Ranch, that consist of thousands of acres for you to hike, mountain bike, horseback ride, snowshoe and fish. If you enjoy offloading in your Jeep or OHV then Slaughterhouse Gulch is a great place to visit and explore. Just a short jaunt away is Evergreen Lake where you can go canoeing or paddle-boarding during the Summer or go ice skating or play ice hockey. If you enjoy music concerts be sure to check out world famous, Red Rocks Amphitheater located right in Morrison. If you enjoy skiing, you are a little over an hour drive from Breckenridge and many other world-class ski resorts. There is no shortage of things to do to say the least.
There is so much to do here, it’s incredible. Once you
buy the proper gear most activities are FREE.
Is Conifer CO an expensive place to live?
The median price of a home as of early 2022 is around $750,000 to $800,000 range which is not cheap by national standards. As it relates to other areas where middle-class people live, Conifer is pretty affordable considering the quality of life and what all you get. Property taxes are very low in Colorado so that is a major advantage especially when you compare it with other states. Property taxes for a Conifer home in the mid $700’s would be around $3,200 pear year.
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What are the people like in Conifer?
The people in Conifer as a whole are an active community of people who enjoy the outdoors. Most Conifer residents are transplants from somewhere else so they are very warm, friendly and welcoming. They love the wildlife and they embrace the mountain lifestyle offered by living in such a beautiful community. They love to hike, fish, mountain bike, camp, hunt, and ski to name a few activities. Conifer is a small town and has many small businesses where you may get to know the the owners and employees on a first name basis. Heck they may even remember what kind of coffee you drink if you are a regular.
Does it snow a lot in Conifer?
My guess is you want to know what the Winter is like in Conifer. Winter conditions vary depending on home elevation. Most homes in Conifer are located between 8,200 feet to 10,000 feet. The lower the elevation the less snow, typically. Between November and February we will get a few snow storms delivering anything from a dusting to around 12 inches. From March to April (Spring) we may encounter two or three big snow storms delivering around 12 to 24 inches of snow each time depending on your altitude. There are your typical heavy snow days where all elevations accumulate heavy snow. No problem. Just shovel your way to the car and get going about your day. The roads are mostly county maintained and the county does a great job of plowing the roads on snow days.
Most people stay home for the day, put a log on the fire, snuggle up with a good book or watch movies with the family while the landscape transforms into a magical Winter wonder land. The amazing part is the snow typically melts within a day or two because it is so sunny here.
If you have a vehicle with decent four wheel/all wheel drive, then you can still travel around without a problem. From my experience, driveways (no matter your altitude) are the most challenging place to move your vehicle in and out of due to several conditions: snow packed, and steep driveways. So it is best to stay on top of your driveway and you are good to go. We recommend to buy a decent four wheel drive/all wheel drive vehicle and you will typically have no problems. If you commute to work in Denver then you may need to allocate additional time for Winter weather driving conditions.
Because the humidity is lower here and the sun is so intense, Winter temperatures are not bad. Temperatures of 35 degrees here and 35 degrees in a more humid climate, like Frisco, Texas, is non-comparable . I have been much colder in Texas at 35 degrees than I ever am in Conifer on a 35 degree day. The reason for this is the Texas humidity holds the moisture close to your body. Conifer is much dryer, so 35 degrees may feel like 55 degrees especially when you factor in the sun’s intensity. Temperatures will get below zero in Conifer a few times during the Winter. The lower temperatures will typically occur at night time and you will be in the house anyway so it is not a big deal. There are a few days you will experience heavy snow and temperatures below zero during the day. Some schools will delay opening for or close for a snow day. Either way, the days are doable if you dress in layers and have warm socks. My cold wife concurs with this statement, by the way. Socks, warm boots, and a long coat are a must, but you end up peeling them off by the end of the day.
My Mississippi southern mama has this image of us living in Narnia during the Winter. Its not at all close to reality. It is surprisingly mild and incredibly breathtaking.
Does Conifer have good schools?
There is West Jefferson Elementary, West Jefferson Middle and Conifer High School to choose from which are all located near the center of Conifer. There are also private schools and home school options available to the community. The Conifer public schools have very good national ratings. Here is a link to all the different Conifer schools. Our daughter attends Conifer High School and has had a great experience.
What’s the wildlife like in Conifer?
Herds of deer and elk roam throughout the town and neighborhoods of Conifer and it makes me so happy. To look out my window and see these majestic creatures roam freely sings to my soul.
I absolutely love all the wildlife that we experience here.
Besides the deer and elk, buffalo(fenced), turkeys, badgers, trout, hawks, bears, mountain lions, the occasional bald eagle and moose claim this land as theirs and we have the opportunity to share this majestic place with them. These are all wild animals and deserve space and respect. In the Spring, the deer and elk have their babies and you just might be blessed to witness their births right in your back yard.
Depending on where you live, you may or may not see bears or mountain lions very often. I can say, in my years of living here, I have never seen a mountain lion and have only seen bears about five times. That may be three times too many for you, but they mostly stay to themselves and are nocturnal by nature. We head the advice of keeping the kiddos inside at dusk and dawn to be safe. Overall, these are rare encounters with the bears and mountain lions. Typically, if you respect them and their space, they will do the same.
My expectations have been exceeded, living here in Evergreen / Conifer. I absolutely love living, working, and playing in this magical place. I literally adventured more in the first year of living here than I had done in the last 30 years of my life.
Contact an Conifer Colorado Real Estate Agent
Shad Philips – Certified Mountain Area Specialist 303-218-6926 Have Questions? - Text Me @ 214-682-2113 - No Really, I Don't Mind!
To learn more about any Conifer Colorado homes for sale or to receive email notifications when homes are listed for sale in Conifer Colorado, call 303-218-6926 or contact an Conifer Colorado REALTOR®.
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