Bear Creek falls in a roadless area inventoried by both citizens and the Forest Service.  Its part of the citizen proposed Hermosa Wilderness Area. The Bear Creek watershed in combination with the Hermosa Creek watershed offers the only lower elevation, undeveloped landscape linkage between the Animas and Dolores river drainages, creating an extremely important corridor for wildlife, including elk, deer, and bear. To the north of Hermosa, historic clearcuts and road construction have dramatically fragmented habitat. South of the La Platas, development activities on private land and Highway 160 have also significantly disturbed habitat, demonstrating the importance of the Bear Creek corridor.

The Highline Loop Trail flanks the Creek in its upper reaches, providing spectacular recreational access to the remote beauty of the drainage.