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.

#1 Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs may be an urban area but there are plenty of natural areas in the region, making it a good home for black bears.

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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

Black bears look for food in obvious places like dumpsters and trash cans, often returning to the spot if they find something tasty to eat.

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.