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Bear Creek Trail

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate Intermediate
 4.1 (430)
  1. Areas
  2. CO
  3. …Front Range
  4. …Morrison
  5. Lair o' the Bear Park
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“Mostly flowy singletrack, with a few small climbs and some very fun rock challenges. ”

Mark Eller
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Map Key

12.6

Miles

20.3

KM

95%

Singletrack

7,412' 2,259 m

High

6,549' 1,996 m

Low

1,544' 471 m

Up

1,544' 470 m

Down

5%

Avg Grade (3°)

28%

Max Grade (16°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Allowed

These trails are occasionally closed if they're muddy. Some segments are popular with hikers, and Jefferson County rangers have been known to ticket riders who exceed 15 MPH or ride aggressively.

Overview

Mostly flowy singletrack, with a few small climbs/descents and some very fun rock features. Almost all of the technical bits offer an intermediate line, though you could miss it if you charge into the drops with too much speed.

Need to Know

Weekend can be CROWDED! Hikers, bikers, families, and more, all go both ways. Remember to yield when you're going downhill, and be especially courteous to hikers.

Description

If you're riding this as an out-and-back from Lair O' the Bear park, you'll get a nice warmup ride in first as you pedal alongside the creek, heading upstream. Cross the creek on a large bridge and keep cruising. Follow the signs for Bear Creek Trail.

Once you make the sharp turn that takes you away from the river, you'll be faced with a steep but brief climb and a few tricky challenges. You'll encounter tight turns and have to squeeze through trees in a few places. The most fun obstacles come in the form of rock ramps and other rock features. Even technical wizards will be hard pressed to ride everything dab-free, but the difficulties are only brief.

The rolling terrain offers frequent whoop-and-holler descents and a few testing climbs. You'll encounter fewer technical challenges and a bit of doubletrack in the second part of the out-bound ride.

At the road intersection, you can turn around and enjoy everything in reverse, or continue on Parmalee Gulch Road (left turn) and access Mt. Falcon.

Contacts

Local Club: Colorado Mountain Bike Association

Land Manager: Jefferson County, CO - Open Space Dept.

Shared By:

Mark Eller with improvements by Cam Bumsted and 4 others
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.1 from 430 votes

#1

in Lair o' the Bear Park

#50

Overall
  4.1 from 430 votes
5 Star
31%
4 Star
54%
3 Star
13%
2 Star
1%
1 Star
1%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Lair o' the Bear Park

#16

in Colorado

#50

Overall
102 Views Last Month
116,171 Since May 14, 2013
Intermediate Intermediate
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Photos

Lisa rides down the first rocky section on Lair O' the Bear.
Mar 27, 2017 near Kittredge, CO
One of the ride's many techy corners
Jul 8, 2013 near Kittredge, CO
Sticky when wet
Jun 2, 2023 near Kittredge, CO
Lair O' The Bear - South to North
Oct 24, 2021 near Evergreen, CO
Riding the rock wall.
Jul 22, 2021 near Kittredge, CO
Getting boosted on Rutabaga.
Jun 7, 2023 near Genesee, CO

17 Comments

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Weather

Current Trail Conditions

Minor Issues 2 days ago
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Oct 3, 2023
Nick Tomich
Sep 12, 2023
Peter Tiley
Sep 1, 2023
Kyle P
great, mostly shaded trail with some sections of steep rocky climbs/descents 5mi — 2h 30m
Aug 12, 2023
Private User
Aug 12, 2023
Sam Smith
Up to Rutabaga 2.6mi
Jul 18, 2023
Nick Hess
6.2mi — 0h 54m
Jul 14, 2023
Nick Hess
6.1mi — 1h 01m
Jul 12, 2023
Nick Hess
6.6mi — 1h 09m

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