Black Bear Road or Black Bear Pass, and officially Forest Service Road 648, is a dirt road that starts from the summit of Red Mountain Pass on U.S. Highway 550 (between Ouray and Silverton) to Telluride, Colorado. The road crests at Black Bear Pass, elevation , and descends over a set of switchbacks as it navigates the heights above Telluride.

thumb|In this aerial photo facing west, Telluride is at center, surrounded by mountains on three sides. Black Bear Road traverses the mountains from [[U.S. Route 550|US-550, visible as a line in the valley at bottom.]]

Black Bear Road is open a few months of the year, from late summer (usually the last week of July) to early fall. The road is traveled only downhill from Red Mountain Pass — except for the annual Jeeper's Jamboree in which travel is reversed for one day only. The start of the trail was formerly marked along U.S. 550 with a sign that read:

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TELLURIDE ➞

CITY OF GOLD

12 MILES - 2 HOURS

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE

CRAZY TO DRIVE THIS

ROAD - BUT IT HELPS

JEEPS ONLY

</pre>

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After repeated thefts of the sign, the local authorities stopped replacing it.

References

  • Narrowgauge.org: The Infamous Black Bear Road — article with a collection of photographs.
  • Bushducks.com open trails: Black Bear Road - with seasonal road open/closed listing.