Lair o’ the Bear is, in our family’s opinion, the best family hike near Denver. First, the drive into the canyon on Bear Creek road is beautiful. Once at the park you’ll find great hiking trail options, the cool water of bear creek, great parking, and some good picnic spots. There are open areas as well as shade. Our one big suggestion is to keep your kiddos close to you on the busier trail segments as this is also a mountain biking mecca. Explore the details below in our profile of this Jefferson County, Colorado park.
Trail Snapshot: Bear Creek Trail at Lair O’ the Bear
Hike Distance | 1.6 Miles |
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Difficulty | Easy |
Duration | 1 hr 15 min |
Trail Type | Out and Back |
Seasons | All Season |
Dogs | Allowed on Leash |
Hike Trail Map | Click for a Trail Map |
Denver Drive Time | 30 min |
Driving Directions | Click for Google Map |
Town Nearest Hike | Denver, Colorado |
Beauty | Bear Creek, Meadows, Wildlife: Beaver, American Dippers aka Water Ouzel |
Activities | Hiking, Birdwatching, Mountain Biking, Fly Fishing, Picnics |
Lair O’the Bear is fantastic for families because this hike has lot of shade, a mostly level path, the sounds and sights of water, and a few great areas for picnics in this Colorado park. On top of all of that, it’s one of the most accessible Denver trails just out of town in the foothills. Within Lair O the Bear park, the Bear Creek Trail follows the creek for 1.6 miles of trail. Approximately 1 mile of the trail runs West from the parking area, and .6 of a mile to the East. But that is just within the park boundaries; the actual trail continues following the creek in both directions, so you can explore even more of this beautiful canyon and riparian landscape. You can also fish Bear Creek in Lair O the Bear. I’ve not had any luck yet, so I’d appreciate any tips in the comment section below.
Tips & Resources for Hiking at Lair o’ the Bear :
- Bikes: There are some hiker only trail segments, but most are open to mountain bikes – and there are A LOT of them, especially on the weekends. So, just hike aware and let your kids know that bikes may be zipping by.
- Picnic: Take a picnic lunch or dinner. There are some great picnic areas along the river at Lair o’ the Bear.
- Birding: This is a great place to teach your kids (or yourself) some tree and bird identification. The riparian ecosystem is pretty diverse at Lair o’ the Bear.
- Lair o’ the Bear Park Trail Map: Trail Map Link
- Colorado Road Conditions: Colorado Road Conditions
- After the Hike: Ice Cream @ The Blue Cow
Weather
Map & Driving Directions
Click for Driving Directions
Aaron Johnson has been hiking in Colorado for over 20 years. The owner and editor of Dayhikes Near Denver, Aaron writes every trail profile as a local guide who has hiked hundreds of miles of trails along the Front Range and deep in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Thanks, Aaron + Jenah! Great spot for the kiddos!
We did this hike with our 2 & 5 year olds on a hot day – it was shady and they had a blast wading in the creek. We made it to the castle then turned around.
Great trail, although pretty crowded sometimes with families, dogs, and some bikers! There is plenty of shade available, and plenty of creek access for letting your dogs drink water. The second time we went right after a brief storm, and it was awesome because there were very few other people.
Great hike near Morrison and Evergreen. Very shaded trailhead, not overly crowded either. Ample parking spots and well maintained trails too. Overall my favorite trail near Denver and sw suburbs.
This park is closed due to flood damage.
http://jeffco.us/parks/parks-and-trails/lair-o-the-bear-park/
* Park currently closed due to September 2013 flood damage *
We did this trail in May of this year on a hot day and really appreciated the shade. This is a nice, easy hike. We were a tiny bit disappointed by the castle, but that’s no fault of this website! We just kind of hoped for a castle castle, and it was more of a fancy, private lodge. We did really like walking along the stream. A few sections of the trail along the river are hiker-only (no dog, no bike), but there is always a trail right next to it that’s ok. There definitely were a number of bikes when we were there, so keep kids and pets close.
Overall — Easy trail (well-maintained, no real elevation gain), mostly shaded and along a river, no big views, but still a nice area to check out.
I just took my kids on this hike yesterday (3 yrs. 1 yr.) It was a great hike, we went to the Dunafon Castle and back. My 3 year old walked the entire time. The kids had a great time hanging out by the creek throwing rocks in. Thanks for posting this, we had a lot of fun!
This is one of our favorite hiking spots, especially as our son loves wading into the stream and skip rocks. Lots of interesting views and very accessible.
Did all of you miss the upper trail? If you like a nice little climb, there is an upper trail that loops through the hillside and wooded area above the park. Very few bikes up there. Although the flood of 2013 closed access via Dipper Bridge, the trail is still accessible from Castor’s Cutoff or Bruin’s Bluff. Either will loop you through the higher trail.
Fishing tips:
Ask the Loca DNR Fishery Biologist about which trout if any, are in the stream?
Nowadays “Polarized Glasses” generally help quite a bit- in spotting fish, and that’s a good thing.
I’ve had to recently hang up my fly rod, after fly fishing from coast to coast for 50 yrs, and for 40 years in Colorado.
Hope this helps?
Write me if you wish.