Why two State Forest State Park trails will be closed later this summer

Heather Willard
·2 min read

DENVER (KDVR) — Planning to hike in the State Forest State Park this year? Two of the park’s popular trailheads will be closed for part of the summer until winter for mitigation work.

The State Forest Service plans to close the American Lakes and Michigan Ditch trails in early July for pre-fire mitigation work in the Michigan Ditch’s drainage. Both trails will be closed through late fall as the projects are completed.

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The City of Fort Collins and the Colorado State Forest Service will conduct the work, and the city also received a $507,805 grant through the Forest Restoration & Wildfire Risk Mitigation grant program. Because the Upper Michigan Ditch provides about a quarter of Fort Collins’ drinking water, a wildfire breaking out in the region could cost upward of $1.7 billion.

It wouldn’t be unheard of either — the ditch was threatened by the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire, which ended up burning within two miles of the drinking water facilities and “underscored the need for action to protect this critical infrastructure,” according to the Colorado State Forest Service News.

Image of trail and road closures at State Forest State Park beginning in July through late fall of 2024.
Image of trail and road closures at State Forest State Park beginning in July through late fall of 2024.

The ditch and its structures sit at 10,400 feet in elevation and require specialized approaches, like helicopter logging and steep-slope tethered logging, in addition to more conventional methods.

Light Detection and Ranging technology will also be used to “identify access routes and locations requiring different tactics to reduce fuel loads,” according to CSFS News. Any logs that can be sold will be to offset the cost of the treatment and serve as a “carbon sink.”

“State Forest is a popular year-round designation for day and multi-day adventures,” said Tony Johnson, Acting State Forest State Park Manager, in a release. “One of the many great things about State Forest is if one trail is closed, there are so many other options to pick from.”

The park staff recommended the Ruby Jewel or Hidden Valley trails as alternatives to the American Lakes and Michigan Ditch trails.

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In addition, the forest service plans to close the Lake Agnes trailhead parking lot and road between the lower lot and trailhead to all motorized vehicles. This work is expected to occur between July 8-19, and the Lake Agnes trail will remain open — it’ll just be a hike to get to your hike.

Specifically, the closure will add about a mile to the Lake Agnes trail, and parking will be limited at the lower lot, located just before the winter closure gates.

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