Vivienne Jannatpour, Boulder County. Due to significant public safety concerns and the ongoing Cal-Wood Fire fire recovery process, the Boulder County Commissioners have approved a full closure of the Geer Canyon access at Heil Valley Ranch through September 30, 2021. This closure includes the Corral parking area, the main trailhead, the Wapiti Trail, the Lichen Loop Trail, the Overland Trail, and the Grindstone Quarry Trail.

Over 10 miles of trail at Heil Valley Ranch can still be accessed from the Picture Rock trailhead near Lyons and will remain open. Please note that the Picture Rock parking lot is often full and parking violations will be ticketed. It is recommended visitors make plans to visit another open space park if parking is at capacity. Please visit boco.org/trails for other options.

Over the coming months, Parks & Open Space staff anticipates significant impacts to Heil Valley Ranch from ongoing recovery operations including hazard tree removal, aerial mulching, and erosion mitigation. Throughout the spring and summer, staff will replace damaged visitor amenities and park infrastructure including bridges, fencing, parking stops, and signage.

Additionally, weather and burn modeling indicates that the area could see significant and dangerous flooding and debris flows during the summer monsoon season with possible impacts to both trailheads, many roads, and downstream communities. BCPOS is focusing early erosion control work on decreasing the impacts of storms on the burn area. Infrastructure replacements will likely continue into the fall after the threat of significant flooding has passed.

Safely reopening Heil Valley Ranch is a priority, and staff will work diligently through the spring, summer, and fall to ensure that visitors have access to the trails, picnic areas, and vistas as quickly as possible.

For more information and regular updates on recovery process, please visit the Heil Valley Ranch Cal-Wood Fire Recovery webpage at https://www.bouldercounty.org/open-space/management/heil-valley-ranch-cal-wood-fire-recovery/

(Originally published in the April 15, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)