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Why do we close trails?

During the rainy season, more visitors tend to venture off trails. It is important to resist these urges, as the repercussions of widespread off-trail hiking grow exponentially.  It takes only a few off-trail users to create a visual cue that other users might interpret as a trail. Damage to trails includes large-scale erosion, damaged vegetation, disruption of wildlife, and altered hydrology, not to mention widening and increased muddiness of trails. When users hike off trail, soils become compacted and water runoff and erosion becomes prominent. Soil loss is the most significant and long-lasting environmental impact. The primary goal of an established trail system is to enable people to enjoy a natural environment, while simultaneously minimizing the amount of human-induced impact to the area.  When large numbers of hikers skirt trail edges, cut switchbacks, and take short cuts, the quality of our trails and environment diminishes.

Additionally, our trails are constructed to have specific drainage and user features.  The varying soil types found in our open spaces affect how well water drains and how quickly the soil saturation dissipates and dries out. Thus, you will find that some of our open spaces and trail sections stay closed longer than others. Hiking and biking on closed trails can damage these features, resulting in poor trail quality and increased maintenance work. 

General Guidelines

Most importantly, please abide by trail closures. We check soil saturation levels daily, so even if you think our trails are ready for use, please respect our closures as muddy sections may be out of your view or around the bend. A general rule is if your shoes or tires are picking up mud, you shouldn’t be on that trail. The city provides many hiking and biking options... just look at the chart above to see up-to-date closures and trail statuses. Furthermore, stay on trail for your safety and to help preserve trail systems for generations to come. Your choices make a large impact on the future of our trails. We thank you for taking care of them.

Please be aware: Failure to comply with trail closures will result in citation