Colorado · Rock climbing · Drake

Bear's Lair

Bear's Lair in Colorado has 7 sport climbing routes across 6 grades.

7 routes
5.8+ – 5.11d
Sport

Is Bear's Lair open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Canyon Lakes Ranger District.

As of · Source: USFS · Canyon Lakes Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Bear's Lair

Best months: May–June and 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.

  1. Jan

    37° / 16°

    7 wet

  2. Feb

    38° / 16°

    8 wet

  3. Mar

    45° / 21°

    9 wet

  4. Apr

    52° / 26°

    10 wet

  5. May

    61° / 35°

    12 wet

  6. Jun

    74° / 43°

    10 wet

  7. Jul

    80° / 48°

    13 wet

  8. Aug

    78° / 46°

    13 wet

  9. Sep

    70° / 39°

    9 wet

  10. Oct

    57° / 30°

    7 wet

  11. Nov

    44° / 23°

    6 wet

  12. Dec

    36° / 16°

    7 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Estes Park 3 Sse, CO, 10.7 mi away at 7,812 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Bear's Lair is a climbing area in the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of other climbing areas, with The Monastery and Outer Gates both about 0.1 mile away. The climbing here is all sport, and the routes run from 5.8+ up to 5.11d. The median grade is 5.11b/c. Among the named routes are Out of the Wind at 5.8+ and Grin and Bear It at 5.11d. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Estes Park show July highs around 80°F with lows near 48°F, while winter highs stay in the mid-30s. The Monastery Trail is about 0.7 mile away, and Storm Mountain is about 1.3 miles off. Paddlers can reach the North Fork Big Thompson River, roughly 5.8 miles away, and the Cache la Poudre River, about 8.2 miles away.

Routes (7)

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