JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A beloved Jefferson County park that was damaged by a wildfire last summer partially reopened on Thursday after a nearly 300-day closure.
Denver7 has been following the developments at Deer Creek Canyon Park since the Quarry Fire broke out in late July 2024, forcing hundreds of evacuations and tearing through about 580 acres, leaving ash and significant damage behind.
"I'm thrilled that we can get back here quicker, and also that they found a way to let us have access to some of it while they're still working on other parts of it," Marla Dense, who lives near the park and was evacuated during the fire, told Denver7 on Thursday. "We're just beyond thankful."
The Quarry Fire burned the northern section of the park up to Deer Creek Canyon Road and west to S. Deer Creek Road, but didn't cross either roadway. It was fully contained on Aug. 7.
About 35% of park property was burned and included the Golden Eagle Trail (an out-and-back trail), the northern half of the Red Mesa Loop and sections of the Plymouth Creek Trail. Parts of those trails had "high severity" damage, as detailed in the map below.
Hearing concerns from the community that loves the 1,600-acre park, we brought questions to JCOS in the fire's immediate aftermath to learn about its reopening status.
They told us about the risks of erosion on the burned land, possible hazards along the trail corridor and damage from the necessary firefighting efforts, including bulldozers that had to cut through large swaths of land to create fire lines.
Each time, the message was the same: The damage was significant. It will take time.
"Give this park space and time to heal," Mary Ann Bonnell, JCOS's visitor services and natural resources director told us in mid-August. "Give us space and time to assess and to try to move into that repair and recovery mode and remove hazards."
Those efforts that took place over the past 10 months were all about collaboration.
JCOS secured more than $353,000 from the Emergency Watershed Protection for helicopter pilots to drop mulch and seeds over the burned areas and mitigate erosion risks — a project that spanned from March 31 through April 2. In total, more than 10,000 pounds of native seeds, including some sourced from other JCOS parks, and 60,000 pounds of mulch were applied on the slopes.
Before the partial reopening, JCOS also partnered with the Conifer Wildland Division to identify hazard trees along the burned trails and remove them.
JCOS also worked alongside the county's geologist to assess rockfall hazards.
As Denver7 reporters kept an eye on this progress, we were the first to learn in April that JCOS had planned to roll out this May partial reopening.
Thursday's partial reopening will continue until Aug. 1, when the entire park is expected to reopen.
Black Bear Trail, which leads into the park from the east, has also been closed since last summer. It will fully reopen in August.
Explore the below photo gallery, which shows images from the day of the fire and the months of recovery efforts.
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PHOTOS: Impact and recovery at Deer Creek Canyon Fire after the Quarry Fire
On Thursday morning, JCOS held a celebratory reopening at the Deer Creek Canyon Park trailhead.
"We have spent so much time and energy putting blood, sweat and tears into the reopening and recovery of this park, and we're just so excited to get to finally share it with everybody," Steve Murdock, interim natural resource stewardship manager with JCOS, said.
He explained that the spread of noxious weeds is still a concern, as is the sensitivity of vegetation as it begins to grow back.
"We're going to be having a lot of volunteer opportunities out here over the next several years, lots of weed management opportunities, plantings, seed collections and all of those sorts of things," he said. "So, if you're interested in getting involved, please just it check out."
You can watch the full press conference in the video below.
The cause of the Quarry Fire remains under investigation. In Early August, Denver7 Investigates reported that "weird items" had been found at the origin of the fire and the sheriff's office confirmed they were investigating the blaze as arson.
Denver7 reached out to the sheriff's office to see if they could share any new details on the investigation into the fire's origin. While they have not yet responded, they told us on April 9 that it remained an open investigation and no new details were available.
Call the fire investigation tip line at 303-271-5612 if you have any information on the origin of the fire.
In the mean time, the park is open to anybody seeking an easy, moderate or challenging hike along the Front Range, like Elise Ruetz. Denver7 spoke with her on Thursday, where explained the park is a great place to visit yearround.
As a reminder, the park is still recovering.
"There's the potential to spread noxious weeds – that's No. 1," explained Steve Murdock, interim natural resource stewardship manager with JCOS. "No. 2, when we do have the vegetation beginning to grow back, it's really sensitive in those first couple months because it's so small and still continuing to grow and develop those root systems."
Remember to stay on the trail, leave no trace, and treat other visitors with respect. Like many JCOS trails, rattlesnakes are common in Deer Creek Canyon Park, so keep an eye — and ear — out for them. All dogs must be leashed. The park will stay open between one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunrise. Find all JCOS regulations here.
