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Waterton Canyon to begin phased reopening on June 15

The popular canyon will reopen for weekday use starting next week.

LITTLETON, Colo. — Starting June 15, the public will once again be able to recreate at Waterton Canyon in Littleton during the week. 

The popular hiking, biking and horseback riding destination has been closed to the public since March 18 in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.

When it reopens, the canyon will follow normal operating hours on weekdays, opening a half hour before sunrise and closing a half hour after sunset, Denver Water said. Waterton Canyon will remain closed on weekends until further notice 

“Waterton Canyon presents more challenges as there are limited access points and less ability to spread out since it is a service road for our operation and maintenance crews," said Brandon Ransom, manager of recreation for Denver Water.

Denver Water said it will closely monitor the weekday use over the next month to inform a successful weekend opening as well.

Those who frequent the canyon are asked to follow safety guidelines like wearing face masks and maintaining safe social distancing. 

Visitors should also limit gathering around wildlife and blocking the service road for working vehicles. Those recreating at the canyon should bring their own water as facilities may be limited or unavailable.

“Waterton Canyon is a popular recreation destination and we recognize the closure was an inconvenience and ask the public to help us keep our resources and employees safe,” said Heath Stuerke, Strontia Springs Dam supervisor. “The recent closure allowed us to utilize this time to improve the recreation experience by performing our annual dust mitigation project where we close the canyon for a few weeks out of the year.”

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