Trip Length: 10.1 Miles. The Black Bear Road begins at Red Mountain Pass on US 550. Look for the sign, you can't miss it. The trail ends ends in Telluride. Don't let that keep you from taking this adventure. It's a short trip through town! For those of you with ATV's or motorcycles, stay off of the pavement. The local police love to write tickets to those who venture onto city streets.

Difficulty Rating: 5 on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the worst. 4WD Trails: Southwest Colorado by Peter Massey, and Jeanne Wilson says of the Black Bear Road, " The trail is not suitable for a full-sized vehicle, due to the very tight switchbacks on the steep, western side of the pass..... One switchback is particularly notorious and is justly considered impassible for full-sized vehicles." I have found this statement to be true for the most part. If you are planning to attempt the Bear in a full-sized vehicle you MUST have a spotter you can trust. I was fourtunate to have my good friend Jerry Clark along to serve in this capacity. There isn't anyone else I would trust with this job but Jerry. I have done the trail once by myself. It was a 10 on the pucker scale. I wouldn't do it without a spotter again in this life time or the next.

Trail Condition: The Black Bear Road has gotten ugly in it's old age. For most folks the steps have always been the toughest part of the trail. When I made my first trip down the trail in 1989, the steps were for the most part a narrow talus road that was slightly off-camber. Today we found them very rocky and narrow. The most dangerous thing about the steps, in my opinion, is that the rocks are covered with loose gravel, and dirt. This loose material causes much puckering, and some creasing of the drivers seat. As you drop down off of the many rocks, it's difficult not to have a bit of forward sliding motion. That would be fine if you weren't sliding towards several thousand feet of air, and a sure death. The eastern side of the trail is in good shape with no real surprises. The upper western portion, above the steps, has a few interesting spots but nothing extreme. The steps, and the first switchback after the mill site are the real pucker points on this trail. I find it interesting how intimidating the steps look from the top, and how mild they look from the switchback at the bottom. This switchback at the bottom of the steps is often reported as difficult in many off-road guide books. I would not agree with that statement. I have found the really nasty one is the second switchback after your cross the stream below the smaller waterfall. Again, a competent spotter will come in very handy on these switchbacks. Be careful not to lose your spotter. Jerry almost stepped off of the mountain in one spot. The place he chose to step out of the truck gave way leaving him hanging from the door of the truck. Remember not to drop your guard as you continue down the switchbacks to Telluride. There are 3 or 4 more of them that require some very careful back and forth movements to negotiate. A 4-point turn was the worst I had as I descended the switchbacks. Try to beat that. By all means don't bite off more than you can chew. I am not recommending this trail to anyone in a full-sized vehicle. It can be done if you have the driving skills required, a dependable vehicle, and most of all a trusted spotter. If you don't have those ingredients in the mix, avoid the Black Bear Road.

Sites along the trail: On the eastern side of the trail you'll have a spectacular over view of many of the other off-road trails in the area. From one spot you can easily see the Corkscrew Gulch Trail, the US Basin Trail, and the road to Gold Bullion Lake. A beautiful over-look of the Chattanooga town site is also possible from this spot. The upper portions of the trail resemble a lunar landscape. As you cross the pass to the east, a small lake is visible below. At the bottom of the steps the remains of the Black Bear Mill are still some what evident. The most enjoyable portion of the trail is located almost at the bottom of the western end of the trail. Bridal Veil Falls, and the old power house at the top of the falls can be seen. Stand in the mist and recover your senses before facing the really dangerous portion of the trip, the streets of Telluride!