Build A Bear The Peak
Marthe Bernskoetter
Bear Peak is a demanding 7.4-mile hike (round trip) through the broad meadows of South Mesa, up through the rocky trail of shadow canyon, to the granite summit with sweeping 360 degree views of the Colorado Front Range. Hikers can summit South Boulder Peak on your way and make a loop hike out of your adventure by returning via Fern Canyon. Explore the full Bear Peak hike profile below for the trail map, driving directions, and more tips and details to help you enjoy this adventure near Boulder, Colorado.
From the South Mesa Trailhead, the trail leads across a small bridge spanning over Boulder Creek. Willow trees arch over the stream making it worth a short pause to take in the sounds of water before you set off across the meadows of South Mesa. There are many trail options, but the most direct is to take the Homestead Trail, which heads West across a gentle grade toward Shadow Canyon.
Once in Shadow Canyon, the trail now becomes much more steep and requires navigating over rock and tree roots. This segment of the trail traveling up through the canyon is over a mile, so be ready for a steady and demanding climb.
Eventually, the trail emerges from the canyon onto the saddle between South Boulder Peak and Bear Peak. This area is marked by a burn area, and in the late summer, raspberry plants grow trailside full of ripe berries. The burn was ignited by lightning in June of 2012. Named the Flagstaff Fire, it consumed about 300 acres before being contained by firefighters.
There are two options for the return hike: 1) to hike the 3.7 miles back through Shadow Canyon, retracing the same trails, or 2) to make a loop out of the hike by descending via Fern Canyon (about 4.7-mile return). The rest of this profile will follow the Fern Canyon to Mesa Trail return.
A sign marking the trail down Fern Canyon is located right at the base of Bear Peak (where the trail turns into a scramble up the summit). The descent into Fern Canyon is very steep and the rock is very loose. Hikers will also encounter people making their way up the trail, so be sure to move off to the side and grant right-of-way to hikers who are doing the harder work of ascending the trail. I would not recommend hiking up to Bear Peak from this route because the trail is way more demanding than the Shadow Canyon approach.
After about 1/2 of a mile descending this steep saddle, the trail will bear right (East) into Fern Canyon via a series of switchbacks. Eventually, the trail will emerge from Fern Canyon back onto the more gentle slopes of South Mesa. Look for signs for the Mesa Trail, and follow them South back to the South Mesa Trailhead.
The hike back on the Mesa Trail travels in and out of the shade of Ponderosa pines and along the pink and orange Flatiron mountains that make this area so spectacular. We took the Upper Bluestem trail to some small connector trails leading back to the trailhead. Another approach is stay on the Mesa Trail (see map) until it connects back to the Homestead Trail.
Aaron Johnson has been hiking in Colorado for over 20 years. The owner and editor of Dayhikes Near Denver, Aaron writes every trail profile as a local guide who has hiked hundreds of miles of trails along the Front Range and deep in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Two mountain peaks offering over 300 acres of endless adventure. Discover something for everyone around every turn from classic New England-style skiing on Attitash to wide-open cruisers on Bear Peak.
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The next day we packed up and by 2 pm Yvonne, Steve and I were hiking up the Eagle River trail. Our packs were obscenely heavy for an overnight trip. Yvonne and I both had our winter (-20) bags plus we hauled a stove, pan, tent, bivy sacks, ice axe, ice tools, crampons, snowshoes, pickets, ice screws, rock and glacier gear, a 60 m rope, tennis shoes (to cross the river in) and leather mountaineering boots. Despite the load we made good time and within 2 hours we shed our pants and donned tennis shoes for the Eagle River crossing.
We set the alarms for 5am and the next morning dawned clear and cold. A heavy frost had formed a nice crust over the rotten snow and at 7am we began kicking steps up towards the peak. Around 7:30 we caught sight of J.T. and Tony and by 8am they had caught us and passed us by, kicking steps up the lower portion of the route.
By 5:30 we were back at the base of the hanging glacier and proceeded to downclimb the lower slopes. By 6:30 we were all off the mountain and back on level ground! The clouds that had hung over us all day burned off and we finally put on sunscreen and hiked back to camp.
In my opinion, the hike to Bear Peak is one of the best hikes in Boulder Colorado. It has everything I look for in a good hike: a good challenge that makes me feel accomplished afterward, the feeling of being right in the middle of nature, and incredible views from the summit. The Bear Peak Trail has all of that and more. For more information on where to park, the Bear Peak Trailhead, difficulty level, and hot tips on for the Bear Mountain Hike, read on!
I hiked to Bear Peak in early October. The conditions were perfect. It was not too hot, there was no snow or ice, and the fall leaves were changing. I think you can probably do this hike all year round, with the exception of snowy days in the winter. The trail is very steep, so if you do want to hike up in the winter, I suggest bringing spikes. These are the spikes that I use for winter hiking.
If you have the chance, I absolutely suggest hiking up to Bear Peak. It is very difficult and challenging at parts, but the sense of accomplishment once you reach the summit is grand. It makes everything worth it. Those swollen fingers. Those sore thighs. Worth it. Worth it for the incredible views and the sense of pride in completing something hard. I stand by my statement that the hike to Bear Peak is one of the most challenging, yet best hiking trails in Boulder.
The elevation gain from parking at the Cragmoor Trailhead up to the summit is 2673 feet. The peak of Bear Peak sits at 8458 feet high. Check out the Bear Peak Boulder Trail Map to see the changing elevation as you go up.
There are three main locations where you can park in order to reach Bear Peak: Cragmoor Road, Shanahan Ridge Trailhead, and NCAR. You can find NCAR at the top of the hill, at the very end of Table Mesa Road. The Cragmoor Trailhead and the Shanahan Ridge Trailhead begin just a little bit lower.
If you choose to park at NCAR, follow the NCAR trail up and just past the water tank. Once you reach the Mesa Trail, go left and follow it until you reach Fern Canyon. Turn right onto the Fern Canyon Trail and go up; this will eventually meet with the second part of the Fern Canyon and will bring you up to Nebel Horn.
Bear Peak and South Boulder Peaks are like twin sisters. The South Boulder Peak is technically taller, but Bear Peak is much cooler. The trail between the two peaks takes only 30 minutes so you can easily do both of these peaks in the same day, which is what I did.
You can find the Southern Sun at the corner of Table Mesa and Broadway, set slightly back from the main street. This is a brewery and restaurant with great beers and food. You can only pay in cash. No credit cards.
Description: This hotel is located on South Boulder Road (Table Mesa) just next to the Highway 36 onramp. There is free parking, fitness center, and wifi. Continental breakfast is included.
Description: The cottages are located inside the Chautauqua Park, just near the base to many hikes as well as the Chautauqua restaurant. There is a summer concert series in the park as well. The cottages include a living room and a front porch. There is free wifi, parking, and breakfast for an additional charge.
Nicki has been exploring the world for over 20 years. She has lived in ten countries around the world, traveled to dozens more. Nicki speaks several languages, and is curious about culture, art, and where in the world she really belongs. She wants to help you get out into the world and create your own adventures.
Bear Mountain is visible as an impressive peak from Route 550 south of Red Mountain Pass in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. Despite its spectacular looks and proximity to a major road, Bear Mountain does not have a trail and is rarely climbed. As of this writing, I have found no information about climbing this peak. I will describe below an approach via a trail that takes you into Bear Creek Valley where you will leave trail and go up a slope to get to the summit. Reaching this trail requires you to cross Mineral Creek.
There is no official trailhead. The idea is to cross Mineral Creek and look for the trail that goes into Bear Creek Valley. From Silverton, I drove roughly 2 miles north on Route 550 and parked at a pull-over just before the road to South Mineral Campground. Mineral Creek seemed to split into many branches here making it less deep.
From Route 550, the first object is to cross Mineral Creek, which is no small mountain stream. I chose a spot just to the south of the junction of Route 550 and South Mineral Campground Road where the creek broke into many branches. When I crossed the creek in early August, it was no more than knee deep but at times of high water, it can obviously become much deeper.
After crossing Mineral Creek, it is imperative that you find the Bear Creek Valley Trail. Satellite photos show that this trail reaches Mineral Creek area and then fades away. I chose GPS coordinates 37:48.8616 North, 107:41.8878 West and walked to it where the well-defined trail appeared. The trail made a broad switchback going up the forested slope entering Bear Creek Valley.