Black Bear Road is one of Colorado’s premium off-roading trails, and this is a state that has quite a few amazing routes. Over a hundred years ago, prospectors cut the famous road to reach the gold-rich Black Bear Mine in the cliffs above the Telluride valley. Today, Telluride is well known as a high-end skiing destination and a place for the rich and famous to mingle during its annual film festival , but Black Bear Pass offers a reminder of a more rugged time in its history.
Planning Your Ride of Black Bear Road Black Bear Road is a very popular Jeep trail, one that attracts adventurous drivers looking to test themselves on its steep, winding trails. A sign at the top of the pass reads:
Telluride —>
City of Gold
12 Miles – 2 Hours
You Don’t Have to Be
Crazy To Drive This
Road – But It Helps
Jeeps Only
While that kind of signage should scare off some of the less experienced riders, accidents do happen each year, and they are sometimes fatal. Most accidents occur with four-wheel drive vehicles that are unable to negotiate the road’s narrow curves.
Motorcycles don’t need to worry about the road being too narrow on the switchbacks, but there are some big drop-offs along the route, exceeding a foot or two in some places. This trip is only for experienced riders who have the equipment to handle the rough terrain.
To get to Black Bear Road, take the highway south from Grand Junction for two hours to the town of Ouray. From there, follow the historic Million Dollar Highway another 13 miles to the turnoff for Black Bear Road. The first couple miles of the route, to the top of Red Mountain Pass, has two-way traffic, but only downhill travel is permitted after the pass (except during the yearly Jeep Jamboree ).
The one-way nature of the road after Red Mountain means that you’ll need to return via the main highway.
Fuel The Black Bear Road turnoff is only 12 miles from Telluride, and it’s another 13 miles on the Million Dollar Highway to Ouray (25 miles total). You won’t need to fuel up during the route, but you’ll want to be sure you have enough gas before starting out so you don’t get stuck up on the pass – the other drivers won’t appreciate the traffic jam you’d cause.
Accommodations and Food Telluride is the obvious place to sleep and eat before and after riding Black Bear Pass. While the town has a reputation for catering to wealthier clientele, a quick search for budget hotels, Airbnbs, and cheap eats yields plenty of options for those wanting something a little less upscale. If you prefer tent accommodations, you can set up at Telluride Town Campground or one of the many Forest Service campgrounds located nearby. The town of Ouray, nearer to the start of Black Bear Road, also has some budget hotels and Forest Service campgrounds.
Sights The major attraction here is just looking down the massive switchbacks to Telluride. However, you won’t want to miss Bridal Veil Falls , Colorado’s tallest waterfall, which drops 365 feet to create an impressive crevasse in the rock wall. There’s a historic power plant at the top of the falls, which adds a touch of history without taking away from the natural beauty of the site.
After you’ve completed the harrowing trip down the switchbacks, you’ll definitely want to spend a day or two exploring Telluride, which has plenty of exciting places to eat, drink, and soak in some great ski town vibes.
Million Dollar Highway: Photo Credit: Andreas F. Borchers / CC BY Black Bear Road – Photo Credit: Sandy Horvath-Dori / CC BY Historic Telluride – Photo Credit: Ken Lund / CC BY Featured Image is of Telluride, CO from Gondola – Photo Credit: Terry Foote / CC BY
