Bear Creek Nature Center is turning 50, and Colorado Springs is invited to the party.
The center is billing a Saturday event as a "bear-thday" party — a celebration of 50 years of environmental education and stewardship in the city's southwest foothills. The nature center, said to be the first of its kind in Colorado, was born in 1976.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the nature center, located at 245 Bear Creek Road, various groups including the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society, Pikes Peak Beekeepers Association, and Bear Creek Garden Association will be on hand, along with a food truck and arts and crafts stations. Pre-registration is required for a series of living history hikes starting at 10:30 a.m. Book readings begin at 11 a.m., naturalists will lead "insect sweeps" starting at 1 p.m., and a ribbon cutting is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
A new exhibit showcasing lesser-seen creatures, titled "Life in the Shadows," is also debuting Saturday as part of the festivities.
For five decades, the center has served as a hub for field trips, youth camps, and gatherings for people of all ages who connect with each other and with the natural world, including the creek through cottonwoods and the oak-covered, grassy foothills beyond. The center's history has not been without hardship. Programming, exhibits, and trails steadily expanded until the morning of May 20, 2000, when staff arrived to find the building on fire. An act of arson destroyed the nature center. It was rebuilt by 2002, though a subsequent recession posed another difficult chapter, with the Friends of El Paso County Nature Centers nonprofit credited for keeping the lights on and doors open.
Today the center draws thousands each year. In 2025, the center tallied 12,772 participants in programs throughout the year, among 18,000 visitors in total, often greeted by some 350 volunteers who help with day-to-day operations. The center also logged 117 reservations last year for Trailability hikes, in which people with disabilities are guided from the seat of a Terrain Hopper, while others with visual impairments are served by the V.I.P. Trail.
Full event details and pre-registration for hikes are available at elpasoco.com/bcnc50, with Saturday's programming set to conclude at 2 p.m.