Bears Ears
- 23.1 mi
- round trip
- 1,203 ft
- climb
- 9,267 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Bears Ears open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District. It doesn't name Bears Ears, so check the source for the area it covers.
Area Closure for the Fishhook Fire - Routt National Forest
Agency closure covering Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District · Order 02-06-03-26-222 · USFS · Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District
Access Impact: Big Creek Lakes Dam Project
Agency alert covering Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
Trail & Access Impact: Stillwater Reservoir Project
Agency alert covering Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
Snowy Range - 2026 Active Vegetation Operations
Agency alert covering Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Bears Ears is a hard out-and-back hike of about 23 miles on natural-surface trails in the Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District of Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest in northwest Colorado. The route climbs roughly 1,200 feet from a low point of about 8,000 feet to a high of about 9,270 feet, and the Forest Service manages the land. The California Park Trailhead is the trailhead and parking area, and the route is open year round. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Spicer, CO, put July highs around 77°F with lows near 42°F, and the station sits about 900 feet lower than the high point, so temperatures on the summit run cooler. Bikes and horses are allowed. Grizzly Park, Sand Mountain Trail and Adams Creek all lie within about 5 miles. For an overnight stay, Bison Carpenter Camp is about 6 miles away.
- Grizzly ParkHiking3.7 mi
- Sand Mountain TrailHiking4.5 mi
- ADAMS CREEKHiking4.6 mi
- NIPPLE PEAKHiking5.8 mi
- Bison Carpenter CampCamping6.1 mi
Dutch Hill CampgroundCampingPhoto: MichaelKirsh, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)8.9 mi- Hahns Peak Lake CampgroundCamping9 mi
Hahns Peak Lake Campground - Medicine-Bow Routt NF (CO)CampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain9.3 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Mountain View TrailHiking · ~30 min drivePhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Sand Mountain TrailHiking · ~8 min drive
- Nipple Peak TrailHiking · ~12 min drive
- North Fork ElkheadHiking · ~15 min drive
- Grizzly ParkHiking · ~6 min drive
- Oliver CreekHiking · ~14 min drive
- SawmillHiking · ~15 min drive
- ADAMS CREEKHiking · ~8 min drive
- Burton CreekHiking · ~15 min drive
- Black MountainHiking · ~18 min drive
Also worth it near here
Best time to visit Bears Ears
Best months: June–September. 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.
Jan
28° / 7°
8 wet
Feb
31° / 9°
8 wet
Mar
40° / 15°
8 wet
Apr
49° / 23°
9 wet
May
59° / 30°
10 wet
Jun
71° / 36°
8 wet
Jul
77° / 42°
9 wet
Aug
76° / 40°
11 wet
Sep
68° / 34°
8 wet
Oct
55° / 25°
7 wet
Nov
39° / 16°
8 wet
Dec
29° / 9°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Spicer, CO, 41.3 mi away at 8,385 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
