Lair o’ the Bear
Type … Woods Wander, Drive-up
Highlights … Views, Creeks
Seasons … All Seasons
Difficulty with Kids … Easy
Trail Details …I would wander the Bear Creek Trail (AllTrails)
Closest Town … Kittredge
Shade … Plenty
Parking Situation … Plenty (weekends in the summer can be busy)
Potty Situation … Pit toilets in parking lot
Stroller friendly?… Yes! A BOB type all-terrain stroller would do great on Bear Creek Trail
After school on warm days, you can often catch our family creekside at Lair o’ the Bear. I love this as a quick weekday adventure because it’s generally MUCH less crowded than on the weekends. While there is a trail system that takes off at the Lair o’ the Bear trailhead, we prefer this area for a casual woods wander along the main Bear Creek Trail. Sometimes, we just park and walk 100 yards and plop down on the “beach” close by the parking lot.
Bear Creek that runs through this park is great because most of the year it’s pretty slow and shallow in the sections we stop at so it’s perfect for swimming, wading, and sand toys. We even come in the winter to play here when the creek turns to ice - my kids love an impromptu ice skating rink (it’s shallow so safe in the right footwear + clothing).
A big plus too - it’s always about 5 degrees warmer than where we live in Evergreen so love coming here to warm up too.
TRAIL TIPS
Water shoes, sand toys, and even swimsuits if warm! If it’s warm, I can bet your kids will want to play in the water so I’d come prepared for that.
Winter fun. While not always the case, we do pop by here on warm days in the winter. If you have the right gear on, it can be a really fun way to get outside during these months. We love to wear our fishing waders for cooler days in the water.
MAKE A DAY OF IT
Switchback Smokehouse. Best BBQ in this area! They are only open Thursday-Sunday 11am - 6pm. In the summertime, they open a “sweet shack” next door for ice cream.
Kittredge Community Park. If you’re crew isn’t done exploring, there is a great little playground in Kittredge. There is a small creek access point as well.
Fall is my favorite season at the Lair
Calm waters and beautiful views along the trail
Swimsuits in the summer!
With the right gear on, it can be fun in the winter too!
Waders are a major win for winter water play