US Forest Service District Ranger Allen Hahn told TOSC yesterday that Waldo Canyon could open this year. The once-popular hiking area has been closed since the Waldo Canyon Fire. The Forest Service has said that their main safety concern was the difficulty in evacuating hikers if there was a recurrence of the flooding that we saw last year in the burn scar.
The Forest Service is considering opening Waldo Canyon in the fall after the monsoon season has passed (June-Sept), keeping the option of closing it again next year when flooding is again a possibility. TOSC welcomes the opportunity for dialogue with the Forest Service, and advocates for a balance between access for the public and the needs of the resource.
Watch our website and Facebook page for more information as we await an official announcement.