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Trail - 4.8 miles, limestone Trailheads:
Other Accesses and Connectors:
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The Bear Creek Trail is located in northern Columbia and
links two of the city's most popular large parks,
the 533-acre Columbia Cosmopolitan Recreation Area
and the 81.5-acre Albert-Oakland Park. In general, the trail
follows the natural drainage system of the Bear Creek
and runs in an east/west direction across the northern
part of the city. The limestone trail is approximately
4.8 miles in length.
| Trail Sections and Trailheads | |
Cosmo Park to Creasy Springs Rd.
This portion of the trail winds through the Bear Creek Nature Area in the north end of Cosmo Park where one can frequently see beavers and other wetland wildlife. Parking is available at trailhead near the Columbia Skate Park within Cosmo Park. Restrooms are available at various locations in the park from April 15-October 15. (See map of Cosmo Park.) A year-round port-a-pot is available near the Skate Park parking lot. The nature area in the north of Cosmo Park is a leash-free area for dogs, except for on the Bear Creek Trail. Dogs must be on a four-foot leash when on the Bear Creek Trail. |
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Creasy Spring Rd. to Garth Ave.
The trail connecting Garth to Creasy Springs consists of approximately one mile of 10-foot wide crushed limestone trail. This section includes a 450-foot boardwalk built on the face of a steep hillside. The boardwalk was one of the most challenging features in construction of the two phases of the trail that were built by Columbia Parks and Recreation construction staff. The boardwalk was built on the side of a rocky tree-lined bluff with minimal impact on vegetation. The structure required 18 concrete support structures that had to be hammered into solid rock and constructed at the edge of Bear Creek. This section of the trail also includes a bridge over Bear Creek that provides a spectacular view of the creek below and a close-up view of the beautiful flora that grows on the Missouri limestone bluffs. |
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Garth Ave. to Hwy. 763
This phase extends a distance of about 1 mile from Garth Avenue eastward to Hwy. 763. The trail runs along the north side of Bear Creek throughout this distance, and there are no bridges on this section of trail. The trail routes safely underneath Garth Avenue, so users don't have to cross the road. The Garth Avenue parking lot also serves the Garth Nature Area, which has looping gravel trails around a wetland area connecting to the Bear Creek Trail. A fenced dog park is also located southwest of the parking lot. |
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Hwy. 763 to Albert-Oakland ParkTrailhead: Albert-Oakland Park - 1900 Blue Ridge Road Support Facilities: parking, restrooms (open April 15 to October 15) This section of the trail was completed in 2001 and dedicated on November 4, 2001. The trail is a 10-foot wide gravel surface with two 10-foot wide bridges over the Bear Creek. Much of this section closely parallels the creek, offering attractive views of the waterway and its limestone outcroppings. |
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| Other Accesses and Connectors | |
Antimi Lake Road, Cosmo Park(Off Parkside Drive) Just north of the Antimi T-Ball Fields where the park drive ends is an another access to the Bear Creek Trail in Cosmo Park. (See Cosmo Park Map.) |
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Python Court ConnectionMileage: 0.18 mile This concrete connection to the Bear Creek Trail from Python Court was completed in 2011. The project was federally funded and administered by GetAbout Columbia. The combined cost of the Python Ct. and Blue Ridge Connectors was $526,000. This connector runs from Python Ct. to W. Prairieview Drive where trail users can use the sidewalk along W Prarieview Drive and Creasy Springs Road to gain access to Bear Creek Trail.
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 Access from Python Court |
 Access from W. Prairieview Drive |
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Blue Ridge Drive ConnectorMileage: 0.32 mile This concrete connection to the Bear Creek Trail from Blue Ridge Road in the Vanderveen Subdivision was completed in 2011. The project was federally funded and administered by GetAbout Columbia. The combined cost of the Python Ct. and Blue Ridge Connector projects was $526,000.
This concrete trail can be accessed from the south side of Blue Ridge Road between Snow Leopard Drive and Sea Eagle Drive and connects residents in the Vanderveen neighborhood to the wetland loop trail in Garth Nature Area. This connection provides a pleasant journey through preserved green space. As trail users enter Garth Nature Area, they can continue around the gravel wetland loop trail to join up with the Bear Creek Trail and either travel west toward the Creasy Springs Trailhead or east toward Albert-Oakland Park. (See Garth Nature Area map). |
 Access from Blue Ridge Road |
 Concrete trail between Blue Ridge Road and Garth Nature Area |
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 Concrete trail ends at Garth Nature Area Wetland loop trail leads to Bear Creek Trail |
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Big Bear Blvd. AccessThe Bear Creek Trail route runs along Big Bear Blvd. until the road ends to the east. Access to the gravel trail is at the east end of Bear Creek Blvd.
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Northland Drive Access3204 Northland Drive The Bear Creek Trail can be accessed off Northland Drive just south of Blue Ridge Road. Heading east from this point trail users are just 0.8 miles from Albert-Oakland Park. Cosmo Park is about 4.0 miles east of where the trail crosses Northland Drive.
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 Access on east side of Northland Drive |
 Access on west side of Northland Drive |
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Blue Ridge Drive Access(Opposite Secretariat Drive) The trail access off Blue Ridge Road connects the surrounding neighborhood to the Bear Creek Trail. The access is signed and readily seen from the road. Entering the trail from this access, trail users are about 4.5 miles from Cosmo Park and about 0.3 miles from entering Albert-Oakland Park via the trail.
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Alaska Court Access1705 Alaska Court, Northland Acres Estates The Parks and Recreation Department purchased a 0.2 acre lot on Alaska Court for $16,000 in 2002 to provide access to the trail for residents of Northland Acres Estates. Parks and Recreation staff completed construction of an ADA walkway 2011, connecting Alaska Court to the Bear Creek Trail. The walkway switches back and forth to provide an ADA grade sidewalk down the steep slope on the lot.
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Parker Street AccessNorth end of Parker Street at Albert-Oakland Park C. M. Albert Memorial Park, located in the southern portion of Albert-Oakland Park, can be accessed from the north end of Parker Street. Trail users can access Bear Creek Trail to the west from this portion of the park. Where the trail enters the park is the 4.8 mile marker for the trail, with Cosmo Park being the 0.0 mile marker. (See Bear Creek Trail map.) To the east of the trail is one of two disc golf courses in the park. (See Albert-Oakland Park map.)
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 Albert-Oakland Park facing toward Parker St. Bear Creek Trail to the right (west) |
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Some of the benches along the Bear Creek Trail and in Garth Nature Area are still available for adoption. Click on the links below for a map with the bench locations and for program information (cost, plaque information, sample photos, order form, etc.). The chart below shows which benches are available for adoption.
Program Information and Order Form
| BCT #1: Adopted | BCT #12: Adopted | BCT #23: Adopted |
| BCT #2: | BCT #13: Adopted | BCT #24: |
| BCT #3: | BCT #14: Adopted | GNA-A: Adopted |
| BCT #4: | BCT #15: Adopted | GNA-B: |
| BCT #5: | BCT #16: | GNA-C: Adopted |
| BCT #6: Adopted | BCT #17: Adopted | GNA-D: Adopted |
| BCT #7: Adopted | BCT #18: | GNA-E: Adopted |
| BCT #8: Adopted | BCT #19: | GNA-F: |
| BCT #9: Adopted | BCT #20: | GNA-G: Adopted |
| BCT #10: Adopted | BCT #21: Adopted | GNA-H: |
| BCT #11: Adopted | BCT #22: | GNA-I: |
The preliminary planning for Bear Creek Trail began as part of the City's Greenbelt Plan in the early 1990's, and the trail concept was included in the City's 1994 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The detailed planning took place in 1994-95 with the initiation of right-of-way acquisition for Phase I in late 1996. The trail was developed in four phases for a total length of 4.8 miles. The total budget for the trail was $1,235,777. This budget included funding from Transportation Enhancement Grants, the City of Columbia's 1/4 Capital Improvement Sales Tax, and support from the City's General Fund. Development of the trail began in 1996 and was divided into four phases. Phase 1 - Garth to Creasy Springs and Phase II - Creasy Springs to Cosmo Park were completed by Parks and Recreation. Public Works managed the construction of Phase III - Garth to Hwy. 63, and Phase IV - Hwy. 63 to Albert-Oakland Park. The final phase of the trail was completed in 2001 and the trail was dedicated on November 4, 2001. |
 P&R Director Mike Hood addresses crowd at the Bear Creek Trail Dedication |
 Ribbon Cutting at Dedication Ceremony |
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