Many local trails will remain closed for another month or more, and for good reason. It’s a matter of life and death. Winter wildlife closures extend into spring in order to give herbivores a chance to recover from winter’s starvation diet.
Hunting in Sky Mountain Park is only allowed for a few days a year at the tail end of the fourth rifle season for a lucky handful of elk hunters. This year’s hunt kicks off Wednesday and wraps Sunday; about 1200 acres of the park will close to public access, including the Cozyline, Airline, Ditchline and Skyline Ridge trails.
Trail use numbers in Pitkin County were mostly down this summer from the pandemic peak in summer 2020, though the full COVID-19 influx affect on local outdoor recreational resources in future years remains unclear.