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Mount Falcon and Lair O' the Bear Loop

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
 3.7 (93)
  1. Areas
  2. CO
  3. …Front Range
  4. …Morrison
  5. Mount Falcon Park
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“A physically challenging but technically moderate loop. ”

Mark Eller
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Map Key

19.9

Miles

32.0

KM

35%

Singletrack

7,747' 2,361 m

High

5,793' 1,766 m

Low

2,504' 763 m

Up

2,502' 763 m

Down

5%

Avg Grade (3°)

29%

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

A combination of grindy climbing, more than a bit of road riding, shout-out-loud singletrack descending and even a touch of intermediate-level gnar. Finish up with beverages in Morrison and you've got a demanding, varied ride that anyone can feel good about accomplishing.

Need to Know

The Mt. Falcon climb offers almost no tree shade and positively bakes on warm days. It's also extremely popular with hikers, and the same can be said for most of the Bear Creek singletrack. Do this one on a weekday morning for maximum enjoyment.

Description

From the Mt. Falcon parking lot, you'll get a minimal warmup before the long grind on the Castle Rock trail begins. The grade isn't too steep but there are enough of water bars, tight switchbacks and rock fields to make this a demanding climb.

About halfway up, a hard lefthand turn (with just a touch of tree shade) offers a brief respite before the climbing kicks in again. Then it's more grinding in small gears to the top. It's challenging to stay on the bike the entire time not because the technical challenge is super high but simply because of the relentless climbing and moderate obstacles that just keep coming.

A fit rider keeping the hammer down will need about 30 minutes (give or take) to reach the stone shelter. Ride at a conversational pace or take a few breaks and you might be looking at an hour-long effort but fear not because you've put nearly all the hard work behind you.

Atop Mt. Falcon there's an opportunity to extend this ride and add more singletrack by exploring the Parmalee Trail and a few other options. If you're content to ride just the loop you'll skip those trails and exit the park for a road descent.

Keep an eye peeled for the easy-to-miss left turn onto gravelly Picutis Road. Follow that to the paved Parmalee Gulch Road and climb a moderate grade, following it through the small town of Indian Hills.

Keep following Parmalee Gulch Road. You'll pass Pence Park on your left, then get ready to hit the singletrack again. Look for the Bear Creek Trail on the right, just past the yellow hiker sign.

Clear your throat and prepare for some whooping and hollering. The Bear Creek descent is mostly flowy singletrack, with a few small climbs 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.

A final descent at the end of the singetrack is followed by a hard righthander onto a flat, wide segment of the Bear Creek trail following the river to Little Park.

Once you reach the Little Park parking lot, it's time to get your roadie on again. Fortunately, the paved descent on Route 74 is quite fun as far as that kind of thing goes. Swooping bends and a mostly adequate shoulder brings you to Morrison.

If you've got a speedster in your group, pitch her the car keys and ask her to retrieve the car from the Mt. Falcon parking lot while the rest of your group gets the first drink order started. There's another 10-20 minutes of climbing to reach the car.

Contacts

Local Club: Colorado Mountain Bike Association

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

Shared By:

Mark Eller
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  3.7 from 93 votes

#1

in Mount Falcon Park

#205

Overall
  3.7 from 93 votes
5 Star
19%
4 Star
46%
3 Star
20%
2 Star
9%
1 Star
5%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Mount Falcon Park

#66

in Colorado

#205

Overall
45 Views Last Month
45,422 Since May 14, 2013
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
0%
1%
35%
18%
44%
1%
Add a Photo

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
Near the Top of Castle Trail after climbing up the technical singletrack.
May 15, 2015 near Indian…, CO
Riding the rock wall.
Jul 22, 2021 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

15 Comments

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Current Trail Conditions

Minor Issues 25 days ago
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Check-Ins

Aug 18, 2023
peter haddad
Fun ride. The uphills at bear creek trail can get technical, but can always get around them. Fun ride and trails are easy to find! — 3h 00m
Aug 8, 2023
Lior Y
Aug 7, 2023
Nick Jakubowski
Around 8 miles of road riding, the climb up Mt. Falcon is rocky and difficult. If you're looking to ride Rutabaga and Bear Creek, park at Lair o Bear. 19.2mi — 3h 15m
Aug 5, 2023
Isaiah Wier-March
Jul 11, 2023
David Miller
Jul 8, 2023
Alejandro Cazar
Jun 19, 2023
Benjamin Scholberg
May 17, 2023
Cam Hands
Dont take a wrong turn down to Indian Hills

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