Bear Creek Regional Park and Nature Center

Media presentations, interpretive programs and special events are held at the nature center, located on the western side of the park on Bear Creek Road off of 26th Street and Lower Gold Camp Road. Visitors may take self-guided or guided tours of the trails which include interpretive signs about the park's animals and plants. Horses, pets and bicycles are not allowed on the nature center trail.[2][4] The nature center is open Wednesday through Saturday throughout the year.[5]

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  Nature Center
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  Nature Center
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  Nature Center

Bear Creek Terrace, the most developed part of the park, includes a picnic area with 5 pavilions, 3 play fields, volleyball area, horseshoe pits, an archery range, and tennis courts.[2][6] Eight tennis courts are located at 2201 Argus Boulevard.[7]

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  Bear Creek Terrace - Play field and play ground in the background
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  Bear Creek Terrace - Tennis courts 2
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  Bear Creek Terrace - Playground and picnic area
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  Bear Creek Terrace - Picnic area and trails
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  Bear Creek Terrace - Vita course
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  Bear Creek Terrace - Archery range

Bear Creek East also has a picnic area, playground, horseshoe pits and a volleyball court. Bear Creek flows through this area. The Park Headquarters are located in Bear Creek East. It is located east of 21st street.[2]

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  Bear Creek East - Picnic Pavilion
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  Bear Creek East - Picnic area and playground
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  Bear Creek East - Trails
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  Bear Creek East - Trails
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  Bear Creek East - El Paso Parks Headquarters
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  Bear Creek East - Community Garden

The 24 acre Bear Creek Dog Park has a ​³⁄₄¾ mile loop trail that owners and pets can hike on, stabilized pools within ​¹⁄₃ mile of creek access for dogs to play in, a holding pen near restrooms and a penned small dog area. About ​¹⁄₂ of the park is fenced off from the rest of the park to prevent conflicts with other park visitors. It is located at 21st Street and Rio Grande. A volunteer organization, Friends of Bear Creek Dog Park, supports the park.[8]

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  Bear Creek Dog Park Entrance at 21st Street and Rio Grande
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  Bear Creek Dog Park
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  Bear Creek Dog Park trails from Lower Gold Camp Road

Nature trails are for hiking, and pets are not allowed. Visitors can hike, walk their pets on a leash or ride horseback on the regional trails. Flora within the park includes ponderosa pine and cottonwood trees, scrub oak, grass prairie and meadows. A mountain creek runs through the park.[4] The trails are open from dawn to dusk each day.[5]

A short 0.4 mile trail, Bear Creek Trail, provides a trail from the eastern edge of the park at 8th Street to the Pikes Peak Greenway in the Power Plant Reach.[9][10]

Trails can be accessed at the nature center, picnic pavilions or the 21st Street trail parking lot.[3]

Trails for horseback riding can be picked up at the Penrose Equestrian Center on Rido Grande, off of 8th Street. The gravel trails are wide and are good for riding in the winter. The trail can be taken through the park, across creeks and over hills, to 21st Street and ride into section 16 which has steeper hills. The trail is shared with cyclists and hikers.[11]

Birds spotted at the park include lesser goldfinch, broad-tailed hummingbird, spotted towhee, Woodhouse's scrub jay, common raven. In May, vireo, flycatcher, and western tanager, and the yellow, Virginia's, and orange-crowned warbler may be seen during their migratory journey. The fall can be a good time to spot towhee, jay, junco, Say's phoebe, red crossbill, and pine siskin. Duck, raptor, bald eagle, wild turkey, and rough-legged hawk may be spotted in the winter. Many other varieties have been spotted.[5]

Coyote,[3] mule deer, and elk range through the park.[5]