BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — Several trails west of Highway 36 in Boulder County will be closed Saturday due to high winds and extreme fire danger.
Boulder Canyon Trail — a 2.5-mile stretch running alongside Boulder Creek — is among those affected. The trail is popular with locals and visitors alike, drawing families, cyclists, and hikers.
"If you look up everywhere, there's just rocks. I love rocks. There's something about being out here in nature and the way that it just grounds you," said Angie Gonzalez, who Denver7 met walking the trail on Friday.
The team at Boulder County's Office of Disaster Management said the goal of the closures is to eliminate any chance for sparks.
"We've learned a lot of lessons that we have to take those extraordinary precautions sometimes just to make sure that the overall safety for the community is there, and having people with the right mindset," said spokesperson Vinnie Montez.
Starting Sunday, March 15, Boulder County Parks & Open Space rangers will check all closed open space areas. The county said rangers cannot hike every trail, but they will reopen parks if no immediate safety concerns are visible from parking areas.
While Gonzalez said she understands the reasoning behind the closure, she's grateful it isn't expected to last long.
"It's tough to lose access at the same time," she said.
Trail users should use extreme caution after trails reopen, according to county officials. Trails may be blocked due to fallen trees and limbs and branches can fall at any time, even after winds have calmed.
"This is a thing that we need to take seriously, and every little effort that we can put forth as a community to come together, not start a fire, and taking those extra safety steps will serve us all better in the long run," Montez said.
