Bear Peak Trail | Bear Canyon, West Ridge, & Fern Canyon
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Recreation Trails Bear Peak Area
Bear Peak is one of the most prominent peaks along the mountains of Boulder and offers a spectacular view in all directions. The trail up to Bear Peak pulls off of Mesa Trail and provides two options to get up to the peak and back down. Both are rocky and steep. Access to South Boulder Peak and Green Mountain are also available.
The first path is to head up Bear Canyon and West Ridge. This path is the longer one but offers a hike through the lush Bear Canyon and great views up top along the west ridge segment. The second path is the steep Fern Canyon trail that very quickly ascends/descends through a heavily wooded path. If you have knee or foot problems you might avoid Fern Canyon, especially on the descent. Some hikers may find hiking sticks useful here (it's not uncommon to see "community use" sticks at the trail ends). A common hike is to form a loop by hiking up bear canyon and west ridge to the peak and then coming back down via fern canyon.
At the top area of this hike you can also access the Green-Bear trail that heads over to Green Mountain. If you like you can go up Bear Canyon and head over to Green Mountain instead of heading to Bear Peak. Once at Bear Peak you can also quickly access South Boulder peak which is a mere 0.7 miles away. From South Boulder peak you can access Shadow Canyon as well and descend to Eldorado Springs.
- Trail Stats
- Photos
- Connections
- Directions
Trail Area Stats
Facilities Fees Camping Fishing Wheelchair Use Agency Trail Map |
Plenty of parking & restrooms at NCAR None None None Not Accessible |
Trailheads |
None, connections only. Usually Mesa Trail from NCAR |
Highlights & Comments |
Strenuous climb to an incredible view. Access to Green Mountain and South Boulder Peak Trails. Lush plants and wildflowers. Beware of Poison Ivy along the trails in some areas. Berries in the more lush regions do attract bears seasonally |
Bear Peak via Bear Canyon & West Ridge
Distance |
3.3, from Mesa Trail intersection to Bear Peak |
Miles |
Physical Difficulty Technical Difficulty Terrain Elevation Gain Starting Elevation Max. Elevation Min. Elevation Mountain Bikes Dogs Horses Snowshoe X-Country Ski |
Moderate - Strenuous Moderate - Challenging Rocky & steep 2751 5710 8461 5710 No Yes Yes NA None |
Feet Feet Feet Feet
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Highlights & Comments |
Passes along the lush Bear Creek rich with wildflowers in the summer. |
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Connections |
Mesa Trail, Green Mountain, South Boulder Peak, Fern Canyon. |
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Bear Peak via Fern Canyon
Distance |
1.3, between Mesa Trail and Bear Peak. |
Miles |
Physical Difficulty Technical Difficulty Terrain Elevation Gain Starting Elevation Max. Elevation Min. Elevation Mountain Bikes Dogs Horses Snowshoe X-Country Ski |
Moderate - Strenuous. Quite steep. Moderate - Challenging Very steep. Quick ascent/descent ~ 2000 feet in 1.3 miles NA / Unknown 8461 NA / Unknown No Yes Yes None None |
Feet Feet Feet Feet
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Highlights & Comments |
Lush trail but very steep changing 2000 feet in about 1.3 miles. Steep steps. Tough descent route. Good bird-spotting despite thick woods. |
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Connections |
Mesa Trail, South Boulder Peak, Shanahan North, can be continued along West Ridge Trail to Green Mountain. |
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Bear Mountain as viewed from Table Mesa on the way to NCAR.
Bear Peak and NCAR mesa in winter. Dinosaur mountain is on the right.
Bear Peak and El Dorado Canyon to the south
Photos courtesy of J. Thomas, Colorado Photographer - All Rights Reserved©
South Boulder Peak |
Connects to South Boulder peak from the top of the trail near Bear Peak. |
Shanahan North Trail |
Shanahan North trail meets Fern Canyon just west of where Shanahan North crosses Mesa Trail. |
Both the Fern Canyon and the Bear Canyon trails to Bear Peak pull off of Mesa Trail. |
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Green Bear Trail - Green Mountain |
Green-Bear Trail to Green Mountain is at the top of the Bear Canyon trail and heads north to Green Mountain while West Ridge heads southward to Bear Peak. |
Directions to Bear Peak Trails
The trails to Bear Peak are accessed from below via Mesa Trail. Generally hikers access Mesa Trail from the NCAR Trailhead or nearby.
NCAR is at the west end of Table Mesa Drive. Table Mesa is easily accessed from Broadway/CO 93. Drive slowly on the road in as it often has bicyclists and deer on it.
From NCAR, take the short connecting trail back to Mesa Trail and head south. Following Mesa trail you'll actually cross the bottom of Bear Creek. Continue hiking until you reach a split. The signs at that point direct you either into Bear Canyon trail or you can continue on a short additional distance to Fern Canyon.
View Bear Peak in a larger map
