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Bear Creek Trail

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate Intermediate
 4.1 (447)
  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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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 447 votes

#1

in Lair o' the Bear Park

#59

Overall
  4.1 from 447 votes
5 Star
32%
4 Star
54%
3 Star
13%
2 Star
1%
1 Star
1%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Lair o' the Bear Park

#17

in Colorado

#59

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
Lair O' The Bear - South to North
Oct 24, 2021 near Evergreen, CO
Getting boosted on Rutabaga.
Jun 7, 2023 near Genesee, CO
Sticky when wet
Jun 2, 2023 near Kittredge, CO
Riding the rock wall.
Jul 22, 2021 near Kittredge, CO

19 Comments

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Weather

Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 11 days ago
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Nov 15, 2025
Andrew
Oct 17, 2025
Bryan R
Nice ride down, the climbs aren't too bad if you pace yourself. I would recommend riding Rutabaga trail down, you'll thank me for the reroute.
Apr 30, 2025
Brian K
Oct 12, 2024
Nathan Cormier
Aug 24, 2024
Kelsey Lieberman
Great ride. Parking was a bit of a challenge. Bike only section is sick 13.6mi — 2h 25m
Aug 14, 2024
Raputa Thebeauta
Jun 18, 2024
J Welle
Steph's 4 ride. Cut it a little short 10mi
Jun 11, 2024
Jose Palma
8.5mi — 2h 11m

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