We saw a couple of snakes and got some great views. The trail network can be hard to follow, as we did make a couple of incorrect turns, but it's because the trails aren't labeled with different colors or different symbols and a few parts could use some additional markers. The atmospheric research center is good to park at and has bathrooms. The trails were well manicured. read more

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Probably one of favorite hike in the Denver Boulder region. It is a great test of endurance and agility. My go to is start from NCAR start which is roughly 8.1 miles. You will enjoy fern gulch...lol. Have fun and be safe a good friend went to fast a few days ago and broke their ankle...so chill read more

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The visitor center shuttles dropped us off at one of the first stops, Bear Peak Trail. It was a beautifully preserved area that leads into several other gorgeous trails. This was a great beginner hike for all ages that loops around the lake, didn't take long to complete and was a good segway into the more challenging trails ahead. A must see if you're in the area! Best, Charlie read more

This is quite the beautiful trail right on Boulder's doorstep! When you're a bit tired of the same old nearby, head up the the NCAR lab and score some free parking in the huge lot. Finding the Bear Peak Trail is a bit tricky, but if you stick left and generally climb, you will cross around 2 miles of pretty pine forest with views all around. The trail has a few options including road. After an hour or so, you reach the Fern Canyon Trail. This rocky road is a straight shot up to a saddle ridge. The trail could use some repairs and is eroding badly. It was a bit hard to navigate the slippery slopes. Reaching the col was a nice feeling with some views to the west. From here, you follow a climbers trail left up the ridge line. There's some scrambling a few miles in, after a brief talus field. The climbing looks worse then it is, but definitely keep your footing and be careful. Wouldn't take dogs here. Reaching the summit is a great feeling and there's a bit of room to relax. Next time I'm heading over to South Boulder! You can find more on All Trails. read more

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Visited this trail on a September morning and it was challenging yet fun! I enjoyed all the wonderful views! Beautiful wildflowers, trees, and Boulder! Easy to get to and there are several other trails along the way! A great area to explore all of them and not get bored! read more

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Bear Peak Trail is challenging but absolutely worth it!! The trail is well maintained and the views at the top are amazing! Bring extra water and snacks it's a tough hike. Especially when it starts to get hot by noon. Absolutely worth it to go to the top! read more

Bear Peak Trail - Parks Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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Hands down Bear Peak is going to be my go to from now on. Granted it's not the closest to me with an hours drive. If you're like me an hour is nada. Zilch. A drive in the park literally! It would take us 4-5 hours to get to any national park from San Jose. So you see why it's no big deal at all to me. Bear Peak thru the west end or Shanahan Ridge is about 4.9 miles in and out. To the top of the peak if you're summiting is about another 3-4 miles give or take. According to AllTrails this is a hard hike. I agree. The first few miles begins mildly. I went twice. My first visit last month was dry but the wind was so violent I had to hang on to anything: a tree, rock or just hunker down. Or else I won't be here yelping. The second visit just recently it snowed all day that day in Boulder and it took us close to 15 hours to hike the entire snow covered park. If you don't summit why bother going? I always summit wherever I go if there's a place to summit and take pics of the Geo tag location. The last quarter of the hike is treacherous when icy and it windy. It's very steep and once you get to the peak there's really no place to walk except to sit. Tiny spot the summit. Tip: not a pro one but listen to me anyways. If there's more than five people on the summit and more people on the way up take your pic and get going to give others a chance to enjoy the Vuew too. Your four legged friend can go but leashed. I won't take him to the top. You crazy?? read more

South Boulder offers some great hiking trails into the front range of the Rocky Mountains. Bear Peak is probably the most popular destination in the area and arguably so. At the top, the flat irons are a wonder to behold plus you receive a 360 degree view of Boulder on one side and the snow-capped range of the Rocky Mountains on the other. There are a couple of known approaches to Bear Peak. We came via the Shanahan Ridge/ Trail, the trailhead which is located at the end of Cragmoor Rd. in a quiet neighborhood. We set out on a weekday during a blustery morning, so I would describe the foot traffic as light, at least for our ascent. The trail begins with a wooden staircase climb up the hill and into the trees. From there, it is a fairly level hike for 1mi until you reach the junction at Fern Canyon where the steep switchbacks begin. Once you reach the saddle and turn left, your last 0.5mi climb is the steepest you'll encounter. You are literally looking up to a straight vertical climb! Just when you think your heart is going to give out, you reach a scramble of craggy rocks with the end destination in sight! Hallelujah! From the sign, a short scramble up leads you to the summit at 8,459ft! The wind chill definitely brought temperatures into the 30's, so while we did marvel at the expansive views, we were also desperate to get down for some wind cover. Accomplished you will feel though! The hike may only be 6.4mi RT, but there is 2700ft of gain to cover. The last mile itself experiences 1000ft of gain alone. My heart and thighs definitely felt that 1000ft! This was a great introduction to some Colorado hiking which is a whole other beast of its own. In terms of navigation, the trail was mostly easy to follow. Dogs are allowed and a fair amount of people were bringing them up. That last scramble to the top is concerning though so ensure your dog is spry. An incredible outing we had at such an accessible trail. Colorado, I see you! read more

After 30 years living in Colorado I finally made it to this awesome trail and peak. We parked at the Eldorado trailhead and made the trek up the mountain. It's not a 14er, but the hike is pretty technical for recreational hikers. Don't let that hold you back, but it helps to be in good shape to make the trip up. We actually hiked South Boulder Peak first, and then took the saddle trail to Bear Peak, and then down the other side and back to the trailhead. We hiked just over 10 miles in about 5 hours. We hiked through the forest on the way up until we got to a significant burn scar, which was in stark contrast to the nice forest trail. The views from these peaks are incredible - you have a 360 degree view of the front range, local canyons, and the high peaks to the west. As always in Colorado, summit early and get down before the summer storms roll through. The trails are incredibly well marked and maintained, and they do get heavy use. There are other trailheads that can get you to Bear Peak, and the Boulder Mountain Trails network is extensive. This is a great destination for locals and visitors alike (it would be a good idea to acclimate before trying this if you are not used to the elevation). Easy access to Denver/Boulder, and comparable, if not better, than a lot of hikes farther west into the mountains. read more

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How to be the nervous Dad in "Nemo" in a few easy lessons: 1. Allow your 10 year-old son to convince you that making him wear hiking boots is old school, and instead that wearing sneakers with far less "gription" on a hike to the highest point in Boulder County is just fine, (which it basically was, by the way; he had no problems. I had the problems, and honestly can't say he would have been far safer in his hiking boots, since there is nothing very risky about the Bear Peak trail. And it didn't help any there were teen girls all over the trail wearing sneakers. "Dad, see? See what I mean?" 2. Ascend to the Bear Peak Summit via Fern Canyon, which I knew in advance is the steepest, most difficult path to the summit. As reviewer Erin S. said of this hike: "Very, very difficult hike. I didn't really know what I was getting into beforehand and it totally kicked my ass." Well, I knew it would kick my ass, and I am in shape. But hey, my companion is a 10 year-old who was thrilled to be back on the front range and was eager to show me he can burn my ass, even if he has been at sea level for the last 10 months. 3. Arrive at the summit pretty darn tired, and watch said energy-oozing 10 year-old scamper up the final and steepest point on the summit, which is a collection of pretty vertical, jagged rocks that indeed make an awesome but - from a nervous Dad's perspective - quite narrow perch for the proud kid showing up his Dad. Here are the narrow, jagged summit rocks I am talking about: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/9LBIE5aHCTJVucwlcxQMUw?userid=TtwhWwNSqDv64M2EnYZE8g 4. Accede to gloating 10 year-old's demands to take triumph photos after climbing those damn jagged, vertical rocks, which for me were doubly hard to navigate because for the first time in my life, I got a good dose of Acrophobia. Gad damn it! My stomach was in my throat when I looked down, and here I am, the vanquished Dad: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/9LBIE5aHCTJVucwlcxQMUw?select=cChABHGQsLH1MAip_D17Fw After the hike, the kid says: "Dad, I can wear my hiking boots from now; it's okay. Can we climb the second Flatiron tomorrow?" Melt. read more

Bear Peak Trail - Bear Peak Summit - Parks Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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5 stars for butt kicking good time! I got this hike from my front range loop hike book, actually it was in my dog hike book, as well as my front range hiking book. Note: THIS IS NOT A GOOD HIKE FOR DOGS. (unless you go very early, and do not do it as a loop and head back the way you cam vs down the Fern trail which is giant boulder stairs, some shard and hot) It is definitely a long hike, and an amazing hike. I did it this year 2013 and the remnants of the previous summer's fire were still there, but there was also some beautiful new growth! Most of the up of the hike - over 4 miles of it is pretty pleasant and doable - lots of switch backs, a good amount of shade, but on a 90 degree day - it's still gonna be hot - so bring a ton of water! The top of the hike turns into a rock scramble. As in - no trail, hold on to rocks and crawl over them to get to the top. The views are amazing and having lunch in the breeze is sooo great! It took all day - we started at 9am and finished around 3 with about 30 minutes at the top! It felt GREAT to accomplish this hike! Been on my to-do list for a while now! read more

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Absolutely gorgeous view at the top of Boulder, Flatirons, western mountains, Eldorado Springs. A bit of a longer hike than expected because the trail is moderately steep with lots of uneven and unstable rocks. We started off with Devil's Thumb as our goal destination so we started at the Shanahan Ridge Trailhead on Table Mesa. This trail has less foot traffic so we enjoyed the initial hike of solitude in the "woods". It merged with the Mesa Trail about 2 miles in then took the same amount of time to reach Bear Peak (about 1.5 more miles). Looped back. A 6-7 mile hike took about 7 hours. For some odd reason, there are a lot of flies near the top of the peak which grossed me out because I wanted a nice quiet retreat up top to enjoy my peanut butter sandwich but instead was bombarded by buzzing noises all around and ungraceful whacking motions which may have caused a few slips here and there. Glad I didn't fall off the cliff. Can someone please explain why these flies reside on top of the mountain? read more

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This trail is pretty awesome and scenic. WORD OF ADVICE: Please be prepared if hiking in the winter because the trail was super snowy and slippery in some areas and I probably busted my shit at least 10 times back and forth. Aside from the heart-stopping falls, the hike was easy except the last .5 mile; steep incline of rocks was challenging. The summit is breathtaking and totally worth it! read more

Bear Peak Trail - Parks Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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This is no doubt my favorite trail in Boulder. It's reasonably long, arduous, and beautiful. I typically do these hikes in the week, so I also find quite a bit of solace. I bring my pup - who is altogether unbeatable - and by the end of this she's ready for a 30 minute nap. However, make sure you're prepared for this one. It'll take you several hours to accomplish (unless you're charging it). You'll need water, perhaps some trail mix, and - if you plan on doing it anytime when there's snow - some proper shoes/yak trax. There will very likely be ice, and it can be punishing. If you reach the top, you'll find some of the most beautiful views around, and satisfaction in the accomplishment. read more

I've done a lot of the popular trails in Boulder (Mallory Cave, Mt. Sanitas, Royal Arch, Top of the Flatiron), but this one has evaded me since '04 when i originally tried it but got caught up in a hailstorm and had to turn back. When i drive around and see it up there in the distance, it's like a big fat middle finger saying "You still have not conquered me you lazy bastard, I OWN YOU". Well, after last weekend, no mas Bear Peak! I have officially been to the highest point in Boulder. There are two ways up, we started at NCAR and took the Bear Canyon route back and forth, which is the more gradual route. Fern Canyon is half the distance but very steep. The Bear Canyon Route was about 9.5 miles, with 2500 ft. of elevation gain. It took us about 6 hours roundtrip at a medium pace. Tree cover for the majority of the way, lots of criss crossing over a creek on rocks. The last .5 miles is pretty damn steep, but the view from the top is great. Indian Peaks, Never Summer, Longs Peak, Front Range. Gittin' 360 on it. I was pretty damn tired at the end of it all, but I was still able to game up and go see Mike Doughty and Zee Avi at etown that evening. All in all, a challenging hike, but definitely the best one I've done so far in Boulder, even though I probably won't do it again until somebody forces me to. 14'ers I'm looking at you next! read more

This kicked my butt. But it was so worth it. I consider myself in pretty good shape. (exercise 5x a week, strength train) But man oh man there was a point on that hike i wasn't sure if i was going to make it. I was visiting town from sea level so the altitude may have been playing a role. Apparently my boyfriend (who never works out) was immune to it and had no problems what so ever. Anyway- the views were outstanding at the end. The trial was a little icy at the top, was a bit difficulty getting back down. (did this mid april) It was also very chilly at the top. I went from long sleve, to short sleeve, to long sleeve, to long sleeve with vest, to long sleeve. I think it was about a 5 hour hike for us. Took a couple 5 minute breaks read more

Great trail, and a great work out- at least for me. I am active and go to the gym often, but I'm a novice hiker. This was my first experience doing this hike, and did it to get more experience with hiking and gaining elevation. Here are my words of wisdom: 1. Takes a while, about 5-7 hours round trip 2. Once you get closer to the peak, it becomes really steep to get to the top 3. Where hiking shoes, I was in sneakers and going down was slippery and there are a lot of rocks and uneven terrain 4. Bring lots of water and some snacks to keep you moving if you start to lag. 5. Dogs can come on this trail but must stay leashed. 6. Going up Bear Canyon is longer but less steep than taking the Fern Canyon trail. I suggest Bear canyon unless you're pressed for time. Also the keep in mind the Bear Canyon side was affected by the fires. 7. Bring a jacket even if it's sunny, the top can be pretty chilly. I really enjoyed the hike. It was a gorgeous view of Boulder and getting to the top was so worth it. It was a challenge and my legs were so sore the next day. Go prepared and you'll have a great time. read more

I admit it, this trail has whooped my behind every single time I've climbed it. Still, I love it. I hate to admit it, but the rock scramble at the top got the better of me the first time I climbed it. But it's so worth it. The view here is amazing (though the top can get a bit crowded), and the reward is worth the post-hike painkillers. Bear Peak is also part of the Triple Peak Challenge, an all-day hike spanning the distance of the Mesa Trail that takes the hiker to the three highest points in Boulder County, Bear and South Boulder Peaks and Green Mountain. South Boulder is the highest in the county. Bear is highest in Boulder proper. read more

This time we made it all the way to the top, the hike is long, and the ascend is pretty do-able. Once you get up to almost the top, the winds pick up, and you feel like you are being blown off the mountain, in a good way. At the very top, we saw some bear tracks, so think twice before doing this long hike alone! But its so beautiful, you literally feel like you are on top of the world! Love it! We tried to loop it on the way down and ended up somewhere in Chataqua instead of Eldorado springs, where we started. So, be careful, the map is a little confusing, and the descent isnt as clearly marked. read more

I came here to run the Bear Peak loops recommended on the website "Guidespot: Boulder Trail Running." (If you have a trail map, it's the trail head that starts at NCAR. The loop is Mesa Trail, Bear Canyon Trail, Bear Peak West Ridge Trail, Shadow Canyon Trail, Mesa Trail). MapMyRun says it's 9.6 miles, and 2018 feet of elevation gain (and loss on the return). Mesa Trail (both out and return) is very run-able. Bear Canyon is do-able. Part of Bear Peak West Ridge is a very steep and rocky climb (probably 15% or more). And Shadow Canyon Trail is a very steep rocky decent (most sections -10% to -15%). Great trail run if you like a hike/run with great views. read more

We liked this trail a lot. We started late in the day and we had a choice to select a shorter trail or lengthy trail. We completed Royal Arch and 2cnd and 3rd Flatiron points. Some of the points have ice and we found a bit adventurous to cross them. This is a memorable trip and definitely worth trying it. read more

Bear Peak Trail - Wooded Trail - Parks Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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This is a great hike. I would call this the long slog to the top. We took Mesa via Towhee to Shadow Canyon to Bear Peak. Really beautiful views at all levels of the hike. Ran into rain/hail going up and waited it out. it cleared for a bit and by the time we reached the saddle more fronts we coming in. The Summit scramble was quick and we got pounded again with hail/rain coming back down to the Saddle. Overall...it was an awesome hike with wonderful view. took us 7.5 hours round trip. Most of that was due to several breaks and a couple good pauses for sheltering from the hail. read more

Okay, we tried this again in December because it was so torturous in July. This is still challenging, but SO MUCH MORE DOABLE when it's 50 instead of 90. Going down Fern Canyon was still hard (going down is always so much harder, anyway!) so next time, we're planning to go up Fern Canyon and come down Bear Canyon Trail. read more

Really Awesome view of Boulder back into the mountains from the top. If you take the back trail up (ie not Fern Canyon, but the Green-Bear Trail) you will get some beautiful views of the fire damage and the new growth of wild flowers. The hike itself is a longer hike and there are some steep parts, but overall, I'd say the view and the sense of accomplishment from defeating Bear Peak makes it worth it. Also, a word to the wise: Fern Canyon can be quite steep, so if you are ok with increasing the overall distance a bit to get a less steep hike, I'd recommend taking Green-Bear both up and down. read more

Love this hike. Approaching from east side is strenuous but has a variety of environments. Woods, views... The very top stretch is steep.

I am in good shape, but I'm an average hiker. I took this trail trying to challenge myself. I'm not sure it was worth the effort. The Shadow Canyon trail that leads to the saddle is dark, steep, rocky, and frankly a little creepy. I hiked by myself, and I was worried I'd break my neck on the way down. It didn't help that I was met at the top of the hike by a wonderful view of... absolutely nothing. Avoid hiking this on foggy days. This is probably a better hike for well conditioned athletes than for an average, middle aged woman out for a recreational hike. read more

Only reason I didn't give this hike 5 stars is because this hike kicked my ass. It is quite strenuous. The view at the top is awesome; great place to sit and take in the world. read more

A beautiful and challenging hike. There are several route options that vary in steepness and difficulty. We hiked for about 6 hours round trip and it was a good workout. Definitely would recommend, but not to people who are visiting Boulder from sea level. read more