Details

Lair o’ the Bear Park is a favorite of Open Space visitors and families. This small wonder of a park overflows with riches: Bear Creek and its calming current; a riparian ecosystem that teems with life—busy beavers, aquatic insects and the American Dippers that snap them up; and lush patches of wildflowers that flourish along the shores among cottonwood and box elders.

There are flat creekside trails for walkers and trout-minded anglers. The Bruin Bluff Trail provides a higher vantage. A 1.3-mile stretch of Bear Creek Trail follows the creek within park boundaries. Escape from the crowds and enjoy a challenging adventure via a 12.6-mile, round-trip journey on this trail passing through three adjoining Denver Mountain Parks to the west.

Facilities & Offerings

• Twenty-eight picnic tables with permanent charcoal grills, nearly twice as many as any other Open Space Park.
• An educational shelter, where Lookout Mountain Nature Center holds campfire events and programs for the public and groups.
• Events such as ¡Fiesta en el Parque! in July, which honors the area’s natural features and cultural time course—from hunting party route for Native American tribes, to a source of furs for trade with Mexico and in the 20th century, to prized agricultural land.

Getting There

The parking area is approximately four miles west of Morrison on the south side of State Highway 74.