Directions:

From Highway 93 south of Boulder, head west on Table Mesa Drive and turn right (west) onto NCAR Road. Follow NCAR road to the top of the hill and the NCAR facility. Park in the day use parking area.

Hike Description:

I think it’s fair to say that Bear Peak is the toughest hike in the Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks system (not including the crazy traverse of all the peaks at the same time). The hike is only 6 miles round-trip but it climbs a steep 2,600 ft of elevation in 3 miles and most of it in the last mile. After the steep and rock final push, you then have a class 3 scramble up an exposed rock face to reach the summit. While Bear Peak is not as tall as its neighbor South Boulder Peak, the hike is more difficult. It’s a tough hike, but it is absolutely worth it!

There are various trailheads you can start from, but I recommend starting at the NCAR trailhead. From the Trailhead start out by following the NCAR Trail up to the water tank and down into the valley to reach the Mesa Trail. The Mesa Trail will take you south and be sure not to take the Bear Canyon Trail, instead continue on the Mesa Trail to the Fern Canyon Junction, the Fern Canyon Trail will take you up to the peak. Up until this point, the hike is pretty tame, only about 500 ft of elevation gain over a mile and a half. The Fern Canyon trail is a different story all together, over the next 1.3 miles, you’ll gain over 2,000 ft.

The Fern Canyon Trail heads up the slope into dense pine forest and starts the ascent. After skirting the base of the mountain, you enter the canyon and start winding your way up through a rocky series of short switchbacks. After a tough half mile you pop out of the forest onto a saddle. This is your last rest before the final steep push up to the summit block. From the saddle, gain 1,000 ft of elevation over the next half mile. It’s a slow unrelenting climb but the views are wonderful, it’s a nice trail to take your time on. Keep going and eventually you’ll reach the junction with the Bear Peak West Ridge Trail. After the junction, the scramble starts. To get to the actual summit, you need to climb up a rock face, it’s not that difficult but it requires a little class 3 scrambling and can be tricky when the trail is busy and people are coming down while you are going up. Again, take your time, be safe, and if you have a fear of heights, maybe stay at the base of the rock face. The views are awesome in every direction from the summit. Find yourself a stable rock and take some time to relax and enjoy the payoff. The climb down follows the same route and is pretty tough on the knees, you’ll want to be even more careful on the way down at least until you get out of Fern Canyon.

Although a tough trail, Bear Peak is a wonderful hike. It’s a great accomplishment and so close to the Front Range communities. The trail is beautiful in every way. The forests and rocky canyons are shaded and serene, the views are great and only get better the higher you climb, the trail is easy to follow, and the scramble to the summit is very fun. As always, the Boulder trails get very busy so be sure to hit this hike early on a weekday, November is a great time of year as the weather is cool but dry. Don’t let the statistics and the difficulty deter you from this hike, you can do it, and you’ll be glad you did.