Bear Creek Trail Improvements

  • Project typeRenovation
  • Project scheduleConstruction has begun and will continue through December 2023.
  • Completion DateDecember 31, 2023
Bear Creek Trail improvements sketch.

Bear Creek Trail is located within the City of Lakewood’s Bear Creek Greenbelt, a 350-acre open space park in south Lakewood. Bear Creek runs through the property, a mature riparian ecosystem attracts wildlife and birds and provides an ideal outdoor recreation and open space area.

In 2016, the city partnered with Norris Design, Bicycle Colorado and Colorado Parks and Wildlife to complete the Lakewood Trail and Connectivity Assessment Report(PDF, 40MB). The project objective was to provide information and guidance for expansion and maintenance of Lakewood's 102 mile trail system. The six month public engagement effort identified opportunities for improvements to the Bear Creek Trail to mitigate user conflicts including the addition of a crusher fines parallel trail, widening and realigning the concrete trail in certain sections and adding striping and signage to enhance safety and way-finding.

The city is committed to completing the improvements identified for this regional trail corridor and City Council approved utilizing Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) funds for this project. The city is also seeking additional funding through partnerships with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Jefferson County Open Space to allow for additional infrastructure improvements such as bridge replacement and restrooms for trail users.

The project engagement page is now live.

Learn more

Bear Creek trail improvements phase 1 map