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Trail tracks, waypoints, and elevations are illustrative demo data, not for navigation.

38.5733 N 109.5498 W · basecamp

← All trails
Technical rockSan Juan Mountains, Telluride, COshelf roadrock gardenalpine

Black Bear Pass

37.8986 N 107.7126 W · TRAILHEAD

Nine miles, one-way switchbacks, and the most famous warning sign in wheeling: 'You don't have to be crazy to drive this road, but it helps.'

Distance
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Est. days
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Route map

8 WAYPOINTS · OSM TILES

ACQUIRING TILES…

Elevation profile

MIN 8,750 FT · MAX 12,840 FT

1,840 FT TOTAL GAIN

10,00012,000FT02468MI FROM TRAILHEADRed Mountain Trailhead: MI 0.0Black Bear Summit: MI 2.7Ingram Basin Camp: MI 3.5One-Way Point: MI 4.5The Steps: MI 5.5The Switchbacks: MI 5.9Bridal Veil Falls: MI 6.2Telluride Exit: MI 9.0▲ 12,840 FT▼ 8,750 FT

Hover or scrub the chart to place a marker on the map. Hover the route line on the map to move the cursor here.

Route log

8 WAYPOINTS · 9 MI

  1. MI 0.0Red Mountain TrailheadTrailhead11,018 FT

    Off US 550 at Red Mountain Pass. Read the sign. Mean it.

  2. MI 2.7Black Bear SummitViewpoint12,840 FT

    12,840 ft. Telluride is 4,000 feet below you, and you're driving there.

  3. MI 3.5Ingram Basin CampCampsite12,367 FT

    Dispersed alpine camp in the basin. Stage here for an early, dry-road start.

  4. MI 4.5One-Way PointObstacle11,467 FT

    Past this sign the road is downhill one-way. No turnarounds, no second thoughts.

  5. MI 5.5The StepsObstacle10,945 FT

    Stacked off-camber rock ledges. Spotter strongly recommended.

  6. MI 5.9The SwitchbacksObstacle10,635 FT

    Wall-cut switchbacks requiring multi-point turns. The reason Black Bear is Black Bear.

  7. MI 6.2Bridal Veil FallsViewpoint10,522 FT

    Colorado's tallest free-falling waterfall, with the 1907 powerhouse on the lip.

  8. MI 9.0Telluride ExitExit8,750 FT

    Roll into town, air up, and act like it was nothing.

Rig check

2/6 PASS

Caution

STOCK WRANGLER SPORT · 31" TIRES · 9.7" CLR · 350 MI RANGE

Checking your garage…

  • Tires

    WARN

    Trail recommends 33s, you're on 31s.

  • Ground clearance

    WARN

    Trail wants 10.5" of clearance — you have 9.7".

  • 4-Lo

    PASS

    Low range required — equipped.

  • Lockers

    WARN

    Lockers are strongly recommended; open diffs will make the cruxes harder.

  • Winch

    WARN

    No winch: on this trail that means waiting for a strap or walking out.

  • Fuel range

    PASS

    350 mi rated range comfortably covers the 25 mi resupply gap.

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Conditions

Season window

SpringSummerFallWinter

Runs best in summer & fall.

Cell coverage

SPOTTY

Signal at ridgelines and pass tops only. Don't bet a recovery on it.

Longest resupply gap

25mi

Longest stretch without a fuel or water opportunity. Do the range math before you commit.

Trail notes

Know before you go

Black Bear is short, but nothing about it is small. From Red Mountain Pass the road climbs to 12,840 ft, then commits: past the one-way point there is no turning around, only the Steps' off-camber ledges and a set of wall switchbacks so tight they demand three-point turns with a 1,000-foot drop for an audience. It ends at Bridal Veil Falls and a victory lap into Telluride. Late-summer only, dry conditions only, experienced drivers only.

Black Bear Pass

9 MI · 1D · DIFF 5/5

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