Bear Mountain Trail Preview

Should you hike Bear Mountain? What the film settles

The hardest sustained climb in the library, and where the film stops short of the top.

It starts steep and stays steep. The climbing begins on slabs and loose rock by 7:48. From 29:42 the steps are big and uneven and the grade does not let up, and at 37:00 there is a tilted slab section where you use your hands above a drop. If the first stretch has you stopping every few minutes, the mountain only gets harder; see the shape of the climb.

The benches are your turnarounds. A short flat at 22:24 and the scrub-oak shoulder at 44:18 are breathers, and each is a legitimate place to stop. At 1:06:12 the film shows the cliff-topped knob that is not the top. The guide’s turnaround rules are worth writing down before you start.

The film stops below the summit. The steepest rock of the day comes at 1:20:48, and the film ends at 1:27:50 on the upper mountain with the view west over the Verde Valley. It does not reach the true summit: the Forest Service figure of 2,289 ft is for the full climb, and the film covers the climb to that point, not all of it.

Go early, with plenty of water. There is no water and almost no shade, so an early start and 3+ liters are non-negotiable. In summer, only a first-light start makes sense.

Choose Doe Mountain, across the road, if the day is hot or wet, your group includes children, or anyone would rather not scramble. Should you be on Bear Mountain at all?

What the full film shows, chapter by chapter

Timestamps read from the full 1:28:02 film. Owners can jump straight to any chapter.

1. 0:00 Bear Mountain trailhead The lot on Boynton Pass Road and the flat start; about 4,585 ft.
2. 7:48 The first slabs Slickrock and loose rock where the climbing starts (0.3 mi).
3. 15:06 Cactus and the first steep step Prickly pear beside the rock steps (0.5 mi, about 4,770 ft).
4. 22:24 The first bench A short flat with the view back to the road (0.8 mi).
5. 29:42 Steep broken rock Big uneven steps; the grade is relentless (1.0 mi, about 5,095 ft).
6. 37:00 Hands on the slabs The tilted slab section where you use your hands above a drop (1.3 mi, about 5,235 ft).
7. 44:18 The second bench Scrub oak on the shoulder; a breather (1.5 mi, about 5,340 ft).
8. 51:36 Slickrock ribs Bare rock ribs with the whole valley behind you (1.7 mi).
9. 58:54 Tilted slabs and agave More slab walking, steeper than it looks (1.9 mi, about 5,640 ft).
10. 1:06:12 The false summit ahead The cliff-topped knob that is not the top (2.1 mi, about 5,625 ft).
11. 1:13:30 Rock steps on the upper mountain Stacked rock on the final ridge (2.4 mi, about 5,680 ft).
12. 1:20:48 The last climb The steepest rock of the day (2.5 mi, about 5,855 ft).
13. 1:27:50 End of the film 2.7 mi and 5,968 ft on the overlay, with the view west over the Verde Valley. The descent, which is harder on the slabs, is not shown.

Not in the film: the rest of the climb to the summit, and the descent, which is harder on the slabs.

Planning the real hike? Read the full Bear Mountain trail guide for difficulty, parking, permits and route-finding details.