Marian Bear Park (West)

About Marian Bear Park West

Marian Bear Park is one of the last of its kind in this area.  Located directly next to Highway 52, this 467 acre park is filled with shaded paths and so much beauty.

The Park is separated into two sections: Marian Bear Park East and Marian Bear Park West.  This page is specifically for the western section.

In the 70’s this area was threatened by the 52 freeway being put in.  There are still scares occurring today as talks for expanding the freeways into this park are still happening.

The park is named after a lady named Marian Bear who was an active community leader and environmentalist. She worked tirelessly to help preserve the canyon in its natural state.

She was the driving force behind realigning the highway from the canyon floor to the north hillsides above it.  This is similar to Bette Bendixen of Bette Bendixen Park.

Over 40 million years ago this park was under the ocean.  Remnants of those times can be found in the geology of the park.  Horizontal lines of round rocks at many levels, separated by clay and sand, represent the various levels of the ocean washing sand away and leaving rocks at surf level.

Fossilized mollusks, such as snails and clams from that period are still found in the canyon’s walls. The fossils are preserved in the sandstones and siltstones.

Be careful of ticks in this area (we learned this on our last trip here). This is a stunning park though and stays shaded all year long. So beautiful.

Activities

Biking is permitted on the maintenance roads in the canyon; no equestrian use is permitted. Major entries to the park are off Genesee Avenue and Regents Road where parking and picnic areas with restroom facilities are available.

When visiting the park, please observe the following rules:

Keep dogs on a leash throughout the park.
No fires or overnight camping.
No firearms, air rifles, slingshots, or projectile devices.
No glass containers.
No alcoholic beverages.
No off-road vehicle activity.