Great trail-the last part of the trail is considered Fern Trail, today the Bear Peak Trail was closed and seems like it will be for a bit. To add more mileage and lessen the grade (slightly) on the way down, you could follow the Bear Peak West Ridge trail to the Bear Canyon Trail . Bear Canyon Road is where the hike starts. An array of different scenery including rivers, waterfalls, areas of forest fire. Bear Peak provides a great opportunity to hike two different trails up and down the mountain. Aspen groves shade parts of the Bear Canyon trail. From Shadow Canyon, you hike up a well marked trail, while ascending about 2,000 feet in less than a mile and a half. Fern Canyon Trail to Bear Peak - 8.3 Miles Round-Trip. At mile 1.5, turn up Fern Canyon—a stair-studded trail with sweeping views of the city and CU-Boulder (identified by the red-roof buildings). At this point the Bear trail heads along the west ridge of Bear Peak, delivering views of the Indian Peaks and Walker Ranch to the west and the eastern plains down Bear Canyon. After a break, head north down fern canyon trail until it curves and reaches the mesa trail, then continue back to the start of your venture. Walter Orr Robert Trail> Mesa> Fern Canyon> Bear Peak Trail> Bear Canyon Trail> Mesa Trail> Walter Orr Robert Trail @NCAR. Google Maps informed us that Bear Peak was only 2.7 miles via Bear Canyon, Mesa and Fern Canyon Trails and should take less than an hour and a half each way. Both options return to the NCAR Trailhead. The first (and last) mile of this route is realtivly a popular wide and gently-graded trail. Hiking trip report, map, and photos for Bear Peak via Shadow and Fern Canyons Loop, located in Chautauqua Park, Colorado. Looking northeast, a view of 14,255-foot Longs Peak in Rocky Mountail National Park. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. 3) Bear Peak and South Boulder Peak via Western Ridge (9.6 miles, 2,641 ft elevation gain) 4) Bear Peak and South Boulder Peak via Bear Canyon and the Mesa Trail from NCAR (10.2 miles, 3,494 ft elevation gain) 5) Bear Peak, South Boulder Peak, and Green Mountain Loop from Chautauqua Park (12.6 miles, 4,609 ft elevation gain) Fern Canyon joins the Mesa Trail on a 4.15 mile route to Bear Peak. Rest here before the final 1,000-foot climb. Take your pick. First part was pretty muddy and most of the trail was covered in snow or ice. Bear Peak offers outstanding views of the NCAR Trailhead below, the city of Boulder, and even the distant skyscrapers of Denver. Awesome morning today! Catch a glimpse of the trail leading to NCAR and the Bear Canyon trail that heads downhill to the trailhead. Hugging the contours of Bear Canyon above the creek, you’ll see impressive rock formations on your left. no snow today either. However, if you stay in the drainage, you will see periodic carins alone the way. Thanks :) my number is 8459886586. In June, dozens of wildflower species bloom along the trail. The trail drops into the forested floor of Bear Canyon then crosses its self-named creek a dozen times before turning south to complete the loop. Can go either way but we did the thought burner up fern and relaxed on the way down. You will be enveloped in different types of trees and bushes.The canyon is popular on the weekends. Continue through forest, meadow, and over a s… There are many popular climbing routes near the trail. There is a kiosk and plenty of parking at the trailhead on Bear Mountain Drive, but no toilet and no water. The Fern Canyon Trail is direct but strenuous, climbing 2100' in just 1.2 miles to the summit. The property on either side of the road is private, so please respect it. Artyom. Views are just around the corner! The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until November. After taking in 20-mile plus summit views of Denver and nearby Indian Peaks, descend via the West Ridge Trail (steep switchbacks for 0.3 mile). A great trail! The loop portion itself is ~7.5 miles. Bear adds the additional benefit of great views of downtown Boulder from its east face. From the summit, additional loop options are available through Shadow Canyon or the Bear Peak West Trail through Bear Canyon. Leashed dogs are welcome to join on this hike! This definitely was a challenge, but the views at the top were completely worth it! Great hike! I would not do again without spikes. Continue straight along the main path at the Y-junction. We approached the Bowl up on a higher ridge to the north which I discovered to be a harder ascent. The area is badly scarred from the 2012 fires, but recovery is well under way. Hiking up to the summit via Fern Trail was awesome, requires some scrambling and provides some amazing views! It is rated a very difficult hike for visitors due to the total elevation gain, steepness of descent on Fern Canyon and sun exposure on the final assault through the 2012 forest burn area. The hike is free (aside from the parking) – you just need to sign in. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Grades moderate up to the Shadow Canyon Trail - Bear Peak West Ridge Trail split (3 miles : 8,155'). Retrace your steps to the trailhead. The final uphill stretch rolls over red-stained sedimentary rock to a big stone, requiring a hand-over-foot move to summit. H iked to Bear Peak in Boulder on May 25th, 2020.Bear Peak stands at 8,458ft and is the tallest peak in Boulder. Great trail. The latest gear, trips, stories, and more, beamed to your inbox every week. The five- to seven-hour hike begins at the Bear Canyon trailhead and intersects the Mesa Trail to begin a challenging clockwise loop. While the trail is often considered medium-hard, it provides a fun day hike that is extremely popular among runners, hikers, and weekend warriors. Turn right at the Fern Canyon trail. Some of the Bear Creek crossings require hopping over rocks. Bear Peak (8,261’) via Bear Canyon Trail is a beautiful, challenging Boulder, CO hike that ascends 2,800’ over its 8.2 miles. The trail criss-crosses the canyon floor and passes over Bear Creek almost a dozen times. This sign directs hikers to three trails that converge near Bear Peak. The path ends at the base of Bear Peak’s rocky summit, which you can carefully scramble up to drink in the incredible views. This canyon takes you to the bear peak west ridge trail leading to the peak. Tucked away in the wilderness but close to home, the Bear Canyon Trail can be used to connect to the Green - Bear Trail and the Bear Peak West Ridge Trail. The trail levels briefly after the first steep climb in Fern Canyon. There is also an access point from Fern Canyon which runs semi-parallel to Bear Canyon Trail and an access through Shadow Canyon which meets up with the Boulder Skyline Traverse. Snow was soft when warm out, but still recommend some crampons. Begin hiking west on the NCAR Trail toward Mesa Trail. Head up the paved Bear Canyon Road. Also your lungs will hurt like hell. This windy saddle is 0.5 miles from the summit. After the notice board you’ll see a sign in box. Cross the bridge and pause to take in the willow trees bending over the creek and creating a … steep ascent but amazing view at the top! Hello! Trail Summary: Bear Peak is a 7 mile out and back located in Boulder, Colorado. The entire trail offers good views of Boulder’s foothills and the Flatirons. Discover everything you need to know about Bear Peak—a hiking attraction recommended by 11 people on komoot—and browse 13 photos & 2 insider ... From the last sign, head up and to the right - the left fork takes you back down into the canyon to Green Mountain. Bear Peak is one of the five tallest peaks along the Boulder Front Range, which can all be linked via the Skyline Traverse. You’ll see the church behind the lot. Really pretty hike, nice variety of scenery from woods to fields to a rocky top! Large boulders hover above a stone staircase. You are allowed to hike on the road. At the top of the canyon, you reach a saddle. Bear Peak Canyon Loop Trail is a 7.8 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Boulder, Colorado that features a river and is rated as difficult. This short segment scales Bear Peak's narrow SW flank, the latter stage of which is over rugged talus. Please let me know if any of you have stumbled across it. The trail is primarily used for hiking, running, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from April until October. Visitors will enjoy diverse terrain and exceptional views across the plains, foothills and Continental Divide: Bear Peak is a mountain summit in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. Bear Peak is a demanding 7.4-mile hike (round trip) through the broad meadows of South Mesa, via the steep and rocky passage of shadow canyon, to the pointed, granite summit where you can take in sweeping views of the Colorado Front Range. This is the Classic approach to Bear Peak’s summit out of NCAR Trailhead. There are two U.S. Geological Survey markers at the summit and 360-degree views of Boulder (NE), Denver (SE), Roosevelt National Forest (W) and Rocky Mountain National Park (NW). Turn right (north) for the last .4 mile, 305' push to the summit. Broadway and US 36 cross this road. To the left is South Boulder Peak at 8,549’ and to the right Bear Peak at 8,461’, each adding another 200’ or so of climbing to your day. The descent via Bear Canyon Trail is particularly pleasant, complete with babbling creek and wildlife watching opportunities. It is also a fine day hike when done as an out-and-back and the mellow terrain makes it good for families with kids ages 6 a… Shortly you’ll see a trailhead ‘no campfires’ sign on the right. Not to Packed, few icy spots, great weather. Both offer some of the best vistas of the Continental Divide, Long’s Peak and the Indian Peaks you can find. Traction would be nice! Begin a long, steep, pine-shaded stair climb. The panoramic views alone are worth the journey. Make sure to get there early to give yourself plenty of time. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until November. The Hike: Mesa Trail to Bear Canyon Creek From the South Mesa Trailhead just East of Eldorado Springs, this hike begins along the banks of Boulder Creek (pictured above). Shadow Canyon will take you up! This route climbs Fern Canyon and descends along the Bear Peak’s western ridge. Starting Elevation: 6104 Highest Elevation: 8461 ( with some up s and downs we had a total Elevation gain of a little more than 2600 feet) Trip Length: Officially it is anywhere from 7.5 to 9 miles depending on what trip information you can … The Bear Canyon Trail is a gorgeous escape that uses the imposing mass of the Flatirons to hide itself from the city of Boulder. January 15, 2019. To access the summit there is a couple hundred feet of rock scrambles which provide great views into Rocky Mountain National Park, Arapaho National Forest, Boulder and on a clear day, Denver. Rising sharply to a conical point at 8,461 feet, it’s one of Boulder’s most prominent landmarks. You will be following Bair Creek [Not Baer] for the majority of the hike. Bear Peak is as beautiful as it is tough. Bear Peak via Homestead and Shadow Canyon Trail is a 8.1 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Boulder, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. Expect to navigate steep, often loose terrain and large rocky features. In south Boulder, head west on Table Mesa Dr all the way to NCAR parking lot. The trail flattens and the remaining 4.5 miles are a gentle downhill toward the trailhead. If you take the loop counter clockwise, you end up going down a pretty steep path, which was a bit tough on the knees and pretty icy when I went (11/29). Etched into the Boulder skyline, the 8,454-foot Bear Peak beckons to be climbed. - Bear Canyon -> Bear Peak W Ridge -> summit (4 mi one-way) - Fern Canyon -> summit (3 mi one-way) TRAIL MAP- NCAR trailhead from the Mesa Trail trailhead: - take 1 of 3 beginning trails- Homestead, Towhee, or Mesa (my favorite is probably the Towhee)- to their convergence at the Shadow Canyon trail, to the summit (all about 4 mi one-way) The West ridge and bear canyon coming down was snow packed and slick in a lot of spots. Turn south (left) onto Mesa Trail. The last portion up to Bear Peak becomes quite steep, but the views are worth the effort. Most of trail was dirt but icy sections, micro spikes recommended! Turn left at this Y-junction to begin the loop to Bear Peak via Fern Canyon. Good steep incline for about a mile and half until you hit the summit, then you cruise the rest of the time. Bear Canyon Road is through the lot to the right. The Bear Canyon Trailhead sign marks the start of the hike. Follow the trail signs toward Shadow Canyon to reach the summit’s west side, turn right at the junction with the West Ridge trail. You’ll cross this intersection again after another 4.7 miles of hiking (up Bear Peak and down the West Ridge trail). Head west to the Mesa trail then south. The out and back portion adds another 4 miles. Bear Peak is a great year round adventure -- and in case you were wondering, it does live up to its ursine name. Some treacherous rocks that keep the hike exciting! Another great option from the summit of Bear Peak is to continue on to South Boulder Peak. Great day out! The trail turns to large, reddish-colored rocks. I was stubborn and didn’t want to put on my spikes, but I would highly suggest them, and poles. It was doable in normal hiking boots but I definitely slipped a bit! Spikes are definitely helpful. In June, we needed to run an errand in Boulder near the Bear Canyon Trailhead, so we decided to take a short day hike. Awesome trail loop, the fern path is much more upright while the canyon trail is a steady decline. Stop at a rest-worthy saddle a half-mile from the peak. © 2021 Pocket Outdoor Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. This is a 9.3 mile loop hike with 3500 cumulative feet of elevation gain that takes about 4-6 hours to complete. The 8,459-foot (2,578 m) peak is located in Boulder Mountain Park, 5.2 miles (8.3 km) south-southwest ( bearing 206°) of downtown Boulder in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. P.S. At the peak you are rewarded with 360 degree views of the region. The classic climb to the summit via Fern Canyon is arguably the toughest ascent in Boulder. The full loop makes for a beautiful hike with lots to see along the way. Turn downhill to follow the Mesa Trail for a half-mile back to Bear Canyon. From NCAR it’s around 6.2 miles with roughly 2,800ft of elevation gain. No matter what route you choose, the hike to the summit is scenic, steep and spectacular. 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