Colorado whitewater - Bear Creek, Front Range, Jefferson County

Jefferson county, Idledale to Morrison section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS III-V     6 miles
  The Idledale to Morrison stretch of Bear Creek in Jefferson County is 6 miles long and has been rated as a class III-V section by American Whitewater. The average Colorado whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be harder to run than those in other states, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that rivers here are less forgiving. The nature scenery of Jefferson County and the playfulness of the water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. Bear Creek doesn't have a lot of paddling sections, the Idledale to Morrison section is the only one. Great
    exercise and just hanging out with mother nature have people coming from far and near. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking in this general area you'll find lots of paddling rivers. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance
then no problem and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. This is a pretty decent length section, suitable for an afternoon trip. If you're coming from Boulder it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, as you can see on the road map further down. When you're paddling down a Front Range river like this one you always get great scenery along the way too. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby.

Briefly about the general area:
Half Way Rock is an interesting place to go to while at Bear
 
Creek, and nearby Devils Gulch is a splendid place to go. All the outdoors cool stuff in the Front Range will keep you coming back many times. Have a good hiking adventure along the Beaver Brook Trail.
Bear Creek is pretty dehydrated generally; the wettest month of the year is typically May, that's the one that rains the most, and the driest month is January. Summertime at Bear Creek comes with high temperatures in the 80's while overnight lows are frequently in the 40's. Through the winter this place gets highs in the 40's, and night lows at Bear Creek through the winter generally dip into the 0's.

Bear Creek, Idledale to Morrison road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III-V
Length: 6 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 39.65666
Longitude: -105.29001

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 39.65333
Longitude: -105.19528

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Current weather conditions at Bear Creek, Front Range, Colorado
WXPort

Local climate location: EVERGREEN 15 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Table Mountain Inn, Golden
6 miles away
The Spirit of the West, the Splendor of the Rockies, both find home at the Table Mountain Inn. Tucked between North and South Table Mountains in the Colorado Front Range is a place that captures all t...

Golden Hotel Clarion Collection, Golden
6 miles away
Located in historic downtown Golden, CO near Coors Brewery and Colorado School of Mines. While traveling on business or pleasure, we would like to invite you to experience The Golden Hotel a Clarion C...

Courtyard By Marriott Denver West Golden, Golden
7 miles away
Courtyard surrounds travelers with the conveniences that make business and pleasure travel easy. Relax and get ready for the day ahead in one of our spacious guest rooms, which feature a comfortable s...



OTHER_INFO
  Front Range Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Front Range.

Front Range Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Front Range.

All Colorado Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Colorado.
Books about whitewater paddling on Bear Creek, Colorado
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Bear Creek, Colorado.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Colorado

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Boulder, Colorado
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Boulder, Colorado, the metro area neareast to Bear Creek. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Bear Creek.
 Whitewater Near Bear Creek:
Clear Creek, Clear Creek County , 5 miles away, Class IV - 5.5 miles long (mile 267 to Golden)
Clear Creek, Clear Creek County , 6 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 5.5 miles long (Green Bay Rock)
South Platte River - North Fork, Jefferson County , 13 miles away, Class III-IV - 7 miles long (Buffalo Creek to South Platte)
South Platte River, Jefferson/ Douglas County , 14 miles away, Class III-IV - 1 miles long (Confluence to Strontia Springs Reservoir)
Boulder Creek - South, Boulder County , 15 miles away, Class V+ - 0.75 miles long (Eldorado Canyon)
South Platte River, Jefferson/ Denver County , 15 miles away, Class II-III - 0.5 miles long (Confluence of Cherry Creek and South Platte)
Boulder Creek - South, Boulder County , 16 miles away, Class IV(V+) - 7.2 miles long (Gross Mountain Reservoir to Eldorado State Park)
South Platte River - North Fork, Park/Jefferson County , 17 miles away, Class IV-V - 10.5 miles long (Bailey to Pine)
South Platte River, Jefferson/ Douglas County , 17 miles away, Class I-III - 12 miles long (Deckers to confluence with North Fork)
Boulder Creek - South, Boulder County , 19 miles away, Class V+ - 2.6 miles long (Pinecliffe to Gross Mountain Reservoir)
 Ski Areas Near Bear Creek:
Winter Park, Colorado , 38 miles away, 3060 vertical feet
Arapahoe Basin, Colorado , 43 miles away, 2270 vertical feet
Loveland, Colorado , 45 miles away, 2410 vertical feet
Keystone, Colorado , 49 miles away, 2900 vertical feet
SolVista, Colorado , 50 miles away, 1000 vertical feet
Breckenridge, Colorado , 57 miles away, 3398 vertical feet
Copper Mountain, Colorado , 63 miles away, 2601 vertical feet
Ski Cooper, Colorado , 75 miles away, 1200 vertical feet
Vail, Colorado , 78 miles away, 3450 vertical feet
Beaver Creek, Colorado , 88 miles away, 4040 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Bear Creek:
Table Mountain Inn, Golden , 6 miles away
Golden Hotel Clarion Collection, Golden , 6 miles away
Courtyard By Marriott Denver West Golden, Golden , 7 miles away
Quality Suites Evergreen, Golden , 7 miles away
Denver-Days Inn & Suites West/Golden, Golden , 7 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Bear Creek:
Camp Coy, Indian Hills, 2 miles away
Dakota Ridge RV Park, Golden, 4 miles away
East Tin Cup Village, Golden, 4 miles away
 Trails Near Bear Creek:
Beaver Brook Trail, Jefferson County , 5 miles away
Mesa Trail, Boulder County , 16 miles away
Bear Peak Trail, Boulder County , 17 miles away
Bolling Gulch Trail, Gilpin County , 18 miles away
Mount Thorodin Trail, Gilpin County , 18 miles away
 National Parks Near Bear Creek:
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Florissant - CO , 41 miles away
Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park - CO , 42 miles away
 Golf Courses Near Bear Creek:
Red Rocks Country Club, Morrison , 5 miles away
Fossil Trace Golf Club, Golden , 5 miles away
Evergreen Golf Course, Evergreen , 7 miles away
 Lakes Near Bear Creek

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater