Bear Peak Canyon Loop Trail

Reserved for intrepid adventurers, the Bear Peak Canyon Loop Trail is an awesome summit hike conveniently located just outside Boulder’s city center. Let the fresh air fill your lungs as you trek through sweet-smelling ponderosa pine forests up to the craggy peak. Make sure you wear sturdy shoes because you will be doing some scrambling up to the summit. Wear layers as insurance against cold and windy conditions at the peak and wear microspikes in the late fall and winter to safely navigate the icy terrain. Though this trail can be completed from either direction, we strongly recommend trekking clockwise for the sake of your knees. Note this path is subject to spontaneous seasonal closures, so check the bulletin at the trailhead.

Embark on your adventure along the Bear Peak Canyon Loop Trail from the NCAR Trailhead. From here, track southwest along the NCAR Trail through the grasslands before entering the evergreen forest. Eventually, you will meet an intersection with the Mesa Trail, keep left here. Hike the Mesa Trail south before confronting another junction. Here, keep left along the Mesa Trail before merging onto the Fern Canyon Trail. The Fern Canyon Trail is the steepest section of the hike. Mind your footing as you ascend the vertiginous terrain, ping-ponging off the walls of the rock outcroppings up to the saddle. Follow the route up to the summit of Bear Peak, where hikers will be required to scramble up to the peak.

Revel in the sights of the surrounding mountainous wilderness and turn onto the Bear Peak West Ridge Trail. Carefully scale down the summit, and at the next intersection, keep right, and you will be diverted onto the Bear Canyon Trail. Hike alongside the gurgling waters of Bear Creek as you wander through the forested canyon. The route will guide you through the valley, delivering you back to the junction with the Mesa Trail. From here, retrace your footing along the Mesa Trail, reconnecting with the NCAR Trail, which will deliver you back to the trailhead.