6 Mile Trail Out-Back 7200-9000 Elevation

This trail heads three miles straight up Bear Creek Canyon, following the scenic creek with towering cliffs overhead, and ending in an area called Jones Park. The trail is scenic right from the start, which makes it popular with hikers, and is too rough for most bikes.

From Route 24 west, head south on 26th Street, which turns into Bear Creek Road. Park in the small lot where the road meets High Drive and Gold Camp Road, then ride south on High Drive for one mile to the gate for this trail. (High Drive is a one way road, but it's ok for bikes to go the wrong way.) Hikers who don't want to walk a mile on High Drive will have to follow Gold Camp Road east, south and west, then High Drive north to the gate.

Go through the gate and follow the creek up. This trail crosses the creek a dozen times but they're easy crossings. After a half mile the trail moves up the east side of the canyon and away from the creek. This part is a tough grind in deep gravel, and a scary drop off.

After a mile and half (from the road) the trail crosses to the north side of the creek, and a spur trail heads back east and toward Specimen Rock. Keep going west and after a quarter mile the Mt Buckhorn Trail crosses the creek to the south.

This part is called both the Bear Creek Trail and the Jones Park Trail. The next mile is a rocky mess of gravel and washout, requiring plenty of walking. But it's a scenic ride. The creek has several cascades, and an old mine shaft sits right on the trail.

A mile past the Buckhorn trail the terrain flattens out and you've reached a flat area called Jones Park. The trail splits several times, providing a lot of exploring in this area, but don't try it without a good map.