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High Altitude and Exposure! A tour of Bear Creek in the summer.


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Map Key

8.5

Miles

13.7

KM

70%

Singletrack

12,156' 3,705 m

High

8,768' 2,673 m

Low

1,621' 494 m

Up

3,405' 1,038 m

Down

11%

Avg Grade (6°)

52%

Max Grade (28°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Not Allowed

See Forever & Wasatch Connection from Mountain Village/Gondola are closed for the 2022 Summer season due to construction of the new Lift 9, new snowmaking pipe being laid on See Forever and new electrical lines being dug and laid. Please respect this closure! There will be significant construction traffic on the roads/trails. For more information: vimeo.com/717077636

Overview

This is an awesome ride that lets the rider get way more downhill than they earned. This trail has the rider climb from 10,500 ft to 12,300 on dirt roads and then the descent is beautiful and intense ride all the way back to town at 8750'!

The downhill contains serious exposure on narrow trails but is some of the funnest riding in the Telluride area.

This trail is an awesome choice for those of us who don't want to ride all the way up and around Bridal Veil and over La Junta to ride the Wasatch Trail.

Need to Know

**TRAIL IS CLOSED FOR 2022 SUMMER SEASON** Access to this trail (when open) via the Gondola mid-station requires the purchase of a XC or bike park pass to ride during Telluride Bike Park Operating days/hours.

High exposure on narrow and sometimes rocky singletrack. Tight switchbacks abound. This trail contains a significant amount of no fall sections of trail.

Hikers frequent this trail. It is narrow so keep your head up and brakes ready.

Description

Leave from the top of the gondola and go straight on the Coonskin Loop. Before you reach the top of Chair 4, take a sharp left on See Forever until you reach the wooden staircases. Hike-a-bike on the stairs for about 200 ft and then start on the 2.5 mile climb up See Forever. This trail will take you past Chair 9, the Ski Patrol Hut, the Tempter House and Alpino Vino. Bust out one last steep climb and find the trail on the left side of the road just before the top of Chair 14 (Gold Hill). This is a very scenic spot that looks over all of Bear Creek and Revelation Bowl.

The trail will cut across Revelation Bowl and then drops the rider into Bear Creek via narrow and steep switchbacks. Really fun and interesting riding that warrants caution but leaves room to cut the breaks and rip. The trail will eventually head south until you reach a creek with a fallen sign indicating both the Wasatch Connection and the Wasatch trail. Take a sharp left here and ride fun fast singletrack below the terrain you just downhilled.

After a few minutes the riding gets very techy and high consequence. Next you'll cross an old wooden mining bridge. Hit the drop off the bridge if your bold, but there is a large cliff to the right side so know your limits. One more really steep section directly after the wooden bridge puts the rider back on easier terrain. Awesome switchbacks with banked turns and fun rock drops send the rider quickly down onto Bear Creek Trail. Go left (downhill) and cruise the fun doubletrack all the way back to town park. This trail is full of fun features to play on, but be careful as this is a VERY popular hiking trail complete with hikers, and unleashed children and dogs.

About halfway down there is an awesome rock stacking garden that is worth checking out, or even getting your rock stack on.

This trail dumps the rider right back in town on the west side of Town Park.

One of the best rides in Telluride for sure!

Contacts

Shared By:

Paul Byrne with improvements by Molly Norton

Trail Ratings

  4.3 from 19 votes

#969

Overall
  4.3 from 19 votes
5 Star
63%
4 Star
16%
3 Star
11%
2 Star
5%
1 Star
5%
Recommended Route Rankings

#199

in Colorado

#969

Overall
9 Views Last Month
12,457 Since Aug 7, 2013
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Photos

Sam sending the bridge drop.
Aug 7, 2013 near Telluride, CO
At the start of Bear Creek Falls
Jul 1, 2019 near Telluride, CO
Looking up to the falls.
Aug 5, 2015 near Telluride, CO
Looking back at the trail and San Joaquin Mountain. Bear Creek!
Aug 7, 2013 near Telluride, CO
Starting down
Sep 19, 2019 near Telluride, CO
Bear Creek Trail
Aug 4, 2015 near Telluride, CO
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Weather


Current Trail Conditions

Unknown
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Check-Ins

Aug 8, 2020
Al Carpenter
Aug 3, 2018
Jenn Calaway
Aug 2, 2018
Laurent Outang
Killer climb, often on loose slippery fire road...but what a downhill! The best of Telluride IMHO. 9.5mi
Oct 4, 2016
Rod Moffett
Sep 21, 2016
Ben Frankowski
Sep 4, 2016
Rachel Ch
Sketchy! 8.5mi — 4h 00m
Jul 17, 2014
Tim Judkins
Far from the best in T Ride. I recommend saving it for hikers, and would ride Prospect 50 time more before doing this trail again. — 1h 40m
Jun 28, 2014
Dutch Holland
Not a trail I would recommend for intermediately skilled riders. It's more of a hike and bike getting to Wasatch as See Forever is wickedly steep. 9mi
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