Trail Closures – updated May 17, 2021
May update: OSMP’s trail construction contractor will be utilizing a helicopter to mobilize materials to the Anemone Hill trail construction project site. Helicopter work will require a public safety closure on the Anemone Hill and Red Rocks area. The closure is scheduled for Monday, May 24, weather pending, or the soonest good weather day afterwards. Please visit this webpage again for any updates. View a map of the closure area .
February Update: Trail construction is continuing over the winter as weather allows on the new Anemone Trail loop. The existing Anemone Trail has been re-opened, while an area closure is in-place where trail construction is actively continuing. The area has been signed accordingly. Please stay out of closed areas due to rockfall risk, mechanized equipment, and rock blasting in these areas, and do not remove or damage signs. Trail closures are expected to change as-needed for public safety and project efficiency as work continues.
View a map of the current area closure .
Why are trail closures needed?
Mechanized equipment, rock blasting, rockfall, and other construction hazards necessitate closure of Anemone Hill trails during construction hours.
Anemone Hill trails are expected to be open evenings and weekends.
Nearby trails, especially around the Centennial and Settlers Park Trailheads and the Red Rocks Area, will have short-term closures when heavy equipment and helicopters are operating in the area to support the Anemone Hill project.
PLEASE DO NOT ENTER CLOSURE AREAS OR REMOVE CLOSURE FENCES AND SIGNS – doing so puts yourself and other visitors at risk, slows down construction, and increases project costs. No trespassing in closure areas. Violators will be ticketed and fined up to $1000 and/or 90 days in jail.
Anemone Hill project update, June 4, 2020
Trail construction has started! The crew has mobilized equipment to the site, and begun work on a large stone retaining wall and stone stairs. Here, the crew is preparing a stone that has been drilled and split to be moved by cable to the project site.
Project Overview
What work is being done?
OSMP is constructing a new three-mile loop trail – this new route will bring people to many of the existing popular locations on Anemone Hill, and some new areas. Additionally, existing undesignated trails in the area that are in poor condition and which negatively impact habitat will be closed and re-vegetated to reduce impacts to the environment.
View a map of the planned project .
What can I expect to see during the project?
- Mechanized equipment is being used for this project. Helicopters are expected to be used for mobilizing materials for some aspects of the work.
- Rockfall control fencing will be installed on the eastern part of Anemone Hill – this is needed to prevent rockfall over Boulder Canyon during construction. This barrier will be removed before project completion.
When is this project occurring?
The project will start as early as Thursday, May 14, 2020 and is expected to take approximately two years to complete.
Why is this project being done?
The new trail will replace existing trails, which have significant erosion and widening issues. These issues are negative impacts to the surrounding environment and are impossible for OSMP to adequately maintain. OSMP trail staff and ecologists have collaborated on the trail design with the goal of providing a fantastic recreational opportunity for trail users while minimizing negative impacts to the environment and habitat.
The Anemone Hill project is part of the OSMP West Trail Study Area (WTSA) management plan, which was approved by OSMP’s Board of Trustees and Boulder’s City Council and involved significant public input.