California · Hiking

Black Bear

Black BearPhoto: United States Forest Service, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
8.6 mi
round trip
823 ft
climb
2,453 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Mar–Jun, Oct
best months

Is Black Bear open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Klamath National Forest.

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

Black Bear is a hard out-and-back hike of about 8.6 miles on the Salmon River Ranger District of Klamath National Forest in northern California. The trail rises from 1,633 feet to 2,453 feet, a climb of about 823 feet one way, on a natural surface route managed by the Forest Service. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the Cecilville weather station, about 6 miles away, put May highs near 75°F and October highs near 70°F, while July averages climb to about 96°F. Matthews campground sits about 1.3 miles from the trail, and Black Bear Creek, a canoeing route, is about 2.4 miles away. The Plummer hike and Hotelling Campground are both about 3.6 miles off, so there is camping and another trail close by.

  • Best time to go · Mar–Jun, Oct

    Best time to visit Black Bear

    Best months: March–June and October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      45° / 30°

    2. Feb

      51° / 31°

    3. Mar

      59° / 33°

    4. Apr

      66° / 36°

    5. May

      75° / 42°

    6. Jun

      85° / 46°

    7. Jul

      96° / 52°

    8. Aug

      94° / 50°

    9. Sep

      89° / 45°

    10. Oct

      70° / 37°

    11. Nov

      54° / 33°

    12. Dec

      43° / 30°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Cecilville, CA, 6.2 mi away at 2,310 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.