On Walkabout At: Colorado Springs’ Bear Creek Regional Park

Basic Information

• Name: Bear Creek Regional Park
• Where: Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Cost: Free
• More Information: El Paso County Parks website

Narrative

Like I have often described on this site, Colorado Springs is filled with many great parks. One of the larger parks in the city is Bear Creek Regional Park located on Colorado Springs’ west side.  The park is a huge 575 acres that includes nearly 3 miles of Bear Creek that flows out of the nearby foothills of Pikes Peak.  The park also has a very large developed recreation area with many picnic sites, playgrounds, and sports facilities:

I occasionally bring my family here on the weekends and one of the favorite things my daughter likes to do is fly her kite:

One of the more unusual sites to see at the developed recreation area of the park is the Pauper’s Cemetery:

I have no idea why these graves are here because there was no marker to explain them.  The only thing I can think of is that these graves were put in place long before the city expanded this far to the west and no one remembers who they are for:

From the developed recreation area there are trails that can be walked to access other areas of the park.  Bear Creek Park is so large that a walk here could range from anything to a short excursion to a full day adventure if combined with a hike into the nearby mountains such as the Section 16 Palmer Red Rock Loop Trail I previously posted about:

At the developed recreation area of the park there are many shorter trails that traverse the scrub land at the base of the foothills:

The terrain here is mostly grass, bushes, and small pinon pine trees since it does not receive the same level of precipitation as the nearby mountains that are covered with large trees.  Besides checking out the plants life, a walk on these short trails provides a nice view of downtown Colorado Springs which is located just below the park:

Here is a look at the neighborhood that is bordered by Bear Creek Park on one side and the foothills on the other:

There is even a view of the most famous park in the city, the Garden of the Gods way out in the distance:

The Bear Creek Nature Center is best place to begin a hike into the nearby foothills or just to learn more about the wilderness around the park:

The Nature Center is located in the far northwestern section of the park where Bear Creek exits Bear Creek Canyon.  This section of the park is heavily forested and quite beautiful.  Inside the Nature Center there are a number of displays that explains the various plant and animal life that can be seen in the park:

Some of these animals such as bears and mountain lions can seen inside the center:

For those that do not feel like venturing out into the foothills, just outside of the Nature Center there are a number of shorter walks:

Most of the trails are made of dirt, but the Songbird Trail section is paved and easily accessible for those with mobility issues:

Most of the trails near the Nature Center are surrounded by lush forests since Bear Creek flows through this area:

Depending on the season many flowers can be seen around the trails as well:

If you are really lucky you may even spot some of the wildlife that live around the Nature Center such as deer:

I even spotted a snake the last time I visited there:

While walking along the trails views of the adjacent foothills can be seen:

Some of the rock walls from the nearby Red Rock Canyon Open Space are also visible from the Nature Center’s trails:

Conclusion

Bear Creek Regional Park is not some place that is going to blow you away with scenery like the Garden of the Gods does.  It is just a really nice place for locals to take their families to as well as use its trail system for activities such as hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.  So if you live in Colorado Springs it is well worth loading up the family, bring a picnic lunch, and spend some time enjoying this great park.