Description: When I think of Black Bear Pass, I think of the "FUD" acronym, Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. I personally think that it is overrated with some of the difficulty ratings but people are still dying on this trail so maybe it's best that it remains overrated in it's technical difficulty.
The east end of the Black Bear Pass Trail is just south of the summit of Red Mountain pass on the west side of the Million Dollar Hyway, US 550.
The trail has different obstacles for different vehicles. The stair steps and the switchbacks are difficult for the four wheeled vehicles, the longer the wheelbase the higher the difficulty. For two wheeled vehicles I think the boulder field above the switchbacks presents the biggest problem. If you are afraid of heights, it might be a good idea to pass on Black Bear Pass.
The switchback portion of the trail is one-way , east to west.
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Map Information:
USFS Uncompahgre NF or San Juan NF
USGS San Juan County
USGS San Miguel County #3
Trails Illustrated, #141
The Roads of Colorado, pp. 114-115
DeLorme Colorado Atlas & Gazetteer, p. 76 |
