California · Hiking · Near Fallbrook

Bear Canyon

Bear CanyonPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
8.0 mi
round trip
786 ft
climb
2,832 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Oct–May
best months

Caution today

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 7 h ago

Is Bear Canyon open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Cleveland National Forest. It doesn't name Bear Canyon, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Cleveland National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Bear Canyon is a hard hike in the Trabuco Ranger District of Cleveland National Forest in California, about 8 miles long with a one-way elevation gain of 786 feet. The trail runs out and back, starting at a low point of about 2,200 feet and reaching a high of about 2,800 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced and open year round. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Elsinore show April highs around 76°F and November highs around 73°F, while July and August average in the upper 90s. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the higher ground run cooler. The trail is not accessible. Horses are allowed, so riders can take it on a horseback trip. The Morgan Trail starts just 0.2 miles away, and the Upper San Juan Boulders climbing area is about half a mile off. San Juan Canyon and the San Juan Loop hike are each roughly 0.8 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Upper San Juan Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 0.6 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Subway

    Fast food

    Open after 6
  • If it rains

    Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society

    Museum

    On your way back · 18 mi

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