Beware of These 8 Bear Hotspots in Colorado

Planning a trip to Colorado? Don’t forget your bear spray! While there are certain parts of the Centennial State that are bear-free, others are havens for wildlife. Colorado has 42 state parks and 4 national parks within the state. The Rocky Mountain range spans much of the state with eight sub-regions all within Colorado. Many of the Rockies’ highest peaks are in Colorado, making it a great place for bears and other wildlife to live.

Certain areas are known for being more hospitable to wildlife, including black bears. It’s never a sure thing but you are more likely to spot a bear in one of these hotspots. It’s important to know and be bear aware before heading into certain areas. Make sure to travel in groups, let someone know where you are going, and carry bear spray. Bear spray is similar to pepper spray and can make bears uncomfortable (without hurting them) in an emergency.

Even though they are formidable, bears would generally rather avoid confrontations with people. So making noises to alert bears to your presence can also help. The exception to this is when you have food. Hungry bears will look in cars or campsites to see what food they can find. Keeping your food put away, out of reach, and sealed will reduce the chances that a hungry bear will come sniffing around. Keep reading to discover the 8 bear hotspots in Colorado.

1. Colorado Springs

While not the largest urban area in Colorado, the city of Colorado Springs is still sizable and not the rugged wilderness that you typically associate with wildlife sightings. But October 2023 reports of a bear interfering with traffic on a major highway near Colorado Springs show just how easily these large animals can get around. There are many wilderness areas still around Colorado Springs. This means that black bears in the region don’t have to travel very far to get into trash and dumpsters looking for food. Even in Colorado cities, it’s important to keep all trash secured.

2. Douglas County

Residents in Douglas County were urged by the Sheriff’s Office to take extra care after multiple sightings of a bear were made in the neighborhoods of Larkspur, Castle Pines, and Roxborough Village. According to calls made to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, one of the bears even broke into a home. They suspected that this increased activity was due to the time of year and the fact that bears were getting ready to hibernate.

3. Aspen

This popular ski destination is one of the bear hotspots in Colorado. The local Aspen government noted that some bears become “habituated” to humans. This means that they are used to humans and are no longer as afraid or standoffish. The result is that habituated bears are more likely to go into urban areas, usually looking for food. They are rewarded with dumpsters, trash cans, and other necessities of town and city life that reinforce their behavior. Bears remember where they found food and will return to the spot. Because of this, the City of Aspen requires that all trash cans have locks to prevent bears from accessing them.

4. San Juan Mountains

This subregion of the Rockies is located in southwestern Colorado. It has high elevation and plenty of natural wilderness, perfect for bears. It is great for camping and exploring. In fact, the San Juan Mountains were first important in the modern history of Colorado thanks to the rich mineral deposits, mostly gold and silver, that brought settlers out in the gold rush.

Today, many of these early settlements are ghost towns that bring history buffs and curious visitors to the area. There is a scenic railway through the mountains between Durango and Silverton. There’s a good chance that you’ll spot a bear from your train car through the countryside. A sheepherder working in the San Juan National Forest was injured by a bear in July 2023. The bear was attacking his sheep and he shot the bear as he tried to fend it off.

5. Telluride

If you are looking to encounter a bear, Telluride’s Black Bear Road is a great spot to go. It’s also known as Black Bear Pass and officially as Forest Service Road 648. It is a rugged road, dirt in some places, that goes from the peak of Red Mountain Pass down to Telluride. You’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of Bridal Veil Falls, the highest waterfall in the state, as well as epic vistas over the San Juan Mountains from almost 13,000 feet up. Black Bear Road is only open during the summer months but you can visit Telluride during the winter as well, when it’s ideal skiing weather. Just be aware of how to keep yourself and the bears safe if you do encounter one during your adventure.

6. Durango

A town in the San Juan Mountains, Durango gets special mention on our list because of its notoriety when it comes to bear attacks. In early summer 2021, a woman was killed by a bear when she was out for a simple walk with her dogs. Bear encounters are usually limited to sightings and trash-related incidents. But this 2021 encounter was unfortunately fatal for the woman. Alaska is the state with the most fatal bear attacks but even their numbers are low. Fatal bear attacks are rare in Colorado. So when a bear encounter turns deadly, it is sure to put the location on the map of hotspots.

7. Manitou Springs

This town near Colorado Springs was the site of a 2020 bear attack. At around 11:30 pm, a woman walking home in downtown Manitou Springs was attacked by a black bear. She managed to get away with only scratches. Another woman was chased down a nearby street later that night, likely by the same bear. Because bears often return to continue looking for food or eat the food that they found, officials had to track down the bear and euthanize her to prevent further attacks. They relocated her cubs to a rehab facility. Once they are old enough, the cubs will be released. Colorado Parks and Wildlife followed the reports with a public statement urging residents to keep their trash locked and secured.

8. Rocky Mountain National Park

Covering just under 266,000 acres, Rocky Mountain National Park is home to many species of wildlife, including black bears. Grizzly bears used to call the area home as well but are no longer living in Rocky Mountain National Park or anywhere else in Colorado. Black bears tend to avoid humans in the park, although you should still take care to follow the recommended steps to be bear-aware and avoid confrontation. The park requires visitors camping or hiking in the backcountry to use a bear-proof storage container for all scented items like food and water. At designated campsites, food storage lockers provide a safe place to store your items.

Summary of Bear Hotspots in Colorado