 In 1873 , John Evans , then a former governor of the Colorado Territory , constructed a toll road from Evergreen to Morrison via Bear Creek canyon . The early road offered access to various mining and logging resources along the creek . This road had over twenty bridges over Bear Creek , most of which were made of wood from the surrounding region . By the late 1870s , toll roads were no longer common , and the path 's maintenance responsibilities were passed to Jefferson County . 
