Bear Canyon - NCAR Trail–Middle Fork Shanahan Trail, 5 sights is a 5.5-mile out-and-back in Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks near Boulder, CO. It climbs 1,256 ft, with sections as steep as 29% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 2/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi5,860 – 6,473 ft · steepest grade: 29%5.8 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.97797, -105.27413
Nearest town Boulder, CO
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Bear Canyon - NCAR Trail–Middle Fork Shanahan Trail, 5 sights
5.5 mi · ▲ 1,256 ft · 2 hr 28 min
Elevation 5,859–6,474 ft
Out & Back · Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks
Trailhead: 39.97797, -105.27413
Weather Sep 4: Light drizzle, high 89°F / low 63° · precip 8% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 6:33 AM · sunset 7:30 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto N.C.A.R. - Bear Connector, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Bear Canyon - NCAR Trail, heading W.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Mesa Trail, heading SW.
- 1.1 miContinue straight onto Shanahan - Mesa Trail, heading E.
- 0.6 miSharp right onto Shanahan Connector, heading E.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Middle Fork Shanahan Trail, heading SW.
- 150 ftBear left onto Shanahan Connector, heading SW.
- 0.1 miReach Bear Canyon - NCAR Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Middle Fork Shanahan Trail, heading SE.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Shanahan Connector, heading NE.
- 0.3 miSharp left onto Shanahan - North Fork, heading N.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Mesa Trail, heading W.
- 1.1 miContinue straight onto Bear Canyon - NCAR Trail, heading NW.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto N.C.A.R. - Bear Connector, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading E.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
95% dirt5% unspecified
Weather
Light drizzleTemperature 89°F63°
Feels like81°Precip8%Wind7 mphUV7Humidity17%
Rained 0.2″ 4 days ago
Hourly temperature
90°60°
Sunrise 6:33 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:30 PM
Sat
88°70°
Sun
89°62°
28%
Mon
85°64°
44%
Tue
85°60°
27%
Wed
81°58°
32%
Thu
90°60°
33%
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Two Tree Hill–N.C.A.R. - Table Mesa/Bear, 3 sights 3 mi · ▲ 886 ft
- Table Mountain–Kohler Reservoir, 4 sights 4.6 mi · ▲ 1,026 ft
- Bear Peak–Bear Canyon - NCAR Trail, 5 sights 4.8 mi · ▲ 2,744 ft
- Green Mountain–Table Mountain, 7 sights 9.5 mi · ▲ 3,515 ft
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