Colorado Losing Yet Another Iconic Treasure

Yet another Colorado staple is closing its doors. We have seen quite the heartbreaking trend since the aftermath of the pandemic has forced many businesses to shutter up permanently.

After five decades, Echo Lake Lodge and Restaurant closed its doors on Sunday. The historic lodge is 96 years old. The windows and doors are original, yet still in working condition. The logs that the building is constructed from is coated in Scott’s Liquid Gold. There are not many restaurants like this in Colorado.

Sunday sadly marked the last day for the mountain lodge. It has been open for 57 years, but Denver Mountain Parks has decided not to renew the iconic lodges lease. We are unsure why this decision was made, but this seems to be the trend here in Colorado.

The tiny gift shop is still open until some of their inventory is sold, and then the remainder will likely go into a storage shed. So if you are in the area, you may be able to take home a little nostalgia of times gone by.

The owners are unsure of what the future holds for them, they were completely taken aback by the decision. They still welcome visitors even though the dining room is closed. But they are readjusting to life without their family business. The pandemic has caused so many staffing shortages, supply chain issues and hardships all around.

One thing is for sure; Colorado is changing. I for one, am not sure I like where it is going.