Living in Denver - Family Day At Lair O' The Bear

Denver Living - Adventure At Lair O’ The Bear

Last weekend we had a little family adventure time and we decided to take our very first Colorado Outdoor Outing with our new puppy. He had recently finished his puppy shots & we had the green light to pretty much take him wherever. So we did. I had been extremely busy the week prior with Denver relocation clients, so I was thrilled to have some downtime with my family.

We decided to try out one of our favorite stand-bys - Lair O' the Bear Park in Bear Creek Canyon- located just west of Morrison in Jefferson County. We have been there many times over the years, it was one of the first places we have taken out kids hiking and it seemed rather appropriate that it be Tully's first grand adventure as well. His favorite part (other than the water) may have been having a wide variety of sticks to carry.

One set of the trails run along one side of Bear Creek and there are plenty of shallow entry spots for you to dip your toes. Tully loved it and the kids were happy to join him - so was I actually.

We saw some folks fly fishing and plenty of people hiking & even some on mountain bikes. There are also a few trails that loop around so you can take a 1 or 2 mile loop which is fun too. We saw the wildflowers starting to bloom and there were parts of a thicker forest as well.

The kids wanted to get back to the water, as did the dog so we found a nice shady spot by the creek. There are actually a very nice amount of picnic spots that are not far form the car at all. We enjoyed a very nice leisurely picnic lunch with plenty of playtime and tree climbing as well.

Many people say it is not uncommon to see wildlife at Lair O' The Bear - on this particular adventure we saw a variety of bugs, butterflies and some tiny fish but that was about it.

There were Jefferson County rangers at the park though educating folks about many things - one thing that caught our eye was their model of a rattlesnake. Many people through the Denver area have seen rattlesnakes lately and we were warned, but we never saw any sign of them. Thankfully.

I think when many people first move to Denver they think that to really get away and enjoy the Colorado outdoors with hiking and fishing you really need to head all of the way into the mountains. Not true. It took us just 35 minute to arrive at Lair O' The Bear from our own driveway. We only made it a few hour adventure so it is perfect for just a quick getaway. Now granted - this isn't going to be the most challenging hike you have ever been on - but it is absolutely perfect for a family outing, picnic or place to bring dogs. We love it!

Lair O' The Bear is located along Bear Creek Canyon on Highway 74. From C470, exit at Morrison Road, drive through Morrison and just keep on going. the park entrance will be on your left about 3 miles into the canyon.

Steve Scheer, RE/MAX Masters, Inc.
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