About Bear Creek Canyon Scenic Mountain Drive
Historic, Historical Places, Interesting Places, Historic Districts
Bear Creek Canyon Drive, a linear district, includes two miles of scenic road, which is now part of State Highway 74. The drive is between the town of Morrison and the town of Idledale. The scenic drive connects to the west border of the Red Rocks Mountain Park District. The Denver Mountain Parks owns a 200 feet (61 m) strip of canyon on both sides of Bear Creek. The park was purchased in 1928, and the road ran along the stream and was subject to flooding. During the 1930s and early 1940s the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) moved parts of the road away from the stream and raised it above the flood plain. The road is maintained by the Colorado State Highway Department. It was constructed and first maintained by the State Department of Highways, Jefferson County, and the City of Denver Mountain Parks. The first section of the road had been a narrow stagecoach route and needed to be graded not to exceed grades more than six percent. Road improve began in 1914, with the construction of a road from Denver to Morrison. The entire route was completed by 1921.
