GOLDEN, Colo. — Apex Park is temporarily closed due to reported aggressive bear activity in the area, Jefferson County Parks and Open Spaces (JCPOS) posted Monday morning.
The park is located off County Highway 93 in Golden, with nearly 800 acres of forest, popular bicycling and pedestrian trails.
Denver7 received an email from a woman who was running on one of the park's trails when she said she was attacked by a bear, and none of the prescribed advice to scare the animal off worked. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) confirmed to Denver7, the agency received the video of the encounter prompted the park closure.
The Apex Park closure is in place while CPW monitors bear conditions.
This is CPW's general advice for bear encounters:
- Move slowly and casually, not directly at wildlife. Allow animals to keep you in view and do not surprise them. Avoid direct eye contact; watch from the corner of your eye.
- Face the animal and back away slowly if you can do so safely.
- Maintain visual contact with any predator so you can always see what it’s doing — but avoid direct eye contact! If you look away, the animal could move and then you will not know where it is or what it’s doing.
- Stay calm. Don’t run or turn your back — and never climb a tree.
Denver7's Maggy Wolanske is working to gather more information on the incident for the 5 p.m. Monday newscast and will update this story.
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