BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — In an effort to reduce "illegal activity" after hours at the Panorama Point Trailhead on Flagstaff Road, the City of Boulder said it will lock gates overnight around the overlook starting Friday evening.
Increasing public safety issues and negative impacts to natural resources around Flagstaff Road, especially this trailhead, prompted this decision, the City of Boulder said in a press release Friday.
Those concerns include illegal use of marijuana and alcohol, trespassing, illegal fires, littering with lighters and cigarette butts and more. The city said wildlife has also felt stressors from the heavy nighttime action at the trailhead.
While the trailhead itself will close to the public overnight, all of the trails in the area will remain open to visitors.
The city had already installed vehicle gates, temporary fencing and signage here.
Staff will lock the gates at 9 p.m. and reopen them at 5 a.m. This begins Friday and will continue for the foreseeable future.
"City staff acknowledge how special a place like Panorama Point Trailhead is to many visitors who enjoy recreational opportunities like bouldering, cycling, hiking and admiring the scenic view," the city's press release says. "The updated protocol is to both improve visitor safety at night and improve the visitor experience for recreational opportunities and special events."
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This decision from the City of Boulder comes less than a year after a similar situation in Jefferson County.
This past January, a 4.1-mile stretch of Lookout Mountain Road closed to vehicles overnight for the same reasons. Issues here have included vandalism, drug use, littering, use of firearms and more. The decision to construct automatic gates on Lookout Mountain Road came after multiple community meetings and presentations dating back to 2022. After its approval, two gates were installed, tested, and then the closure was put into place. However, Denver7 learned in April that the gates had already been damaged and repaired.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said the timing around the closure will vary by season. In the winter, the gates will close at 7 p.m. and reopen at 5 a.m. Beginning the second Sunday in March until Oct. 30, the gates will close one hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise.
