Trails in the Twin Buttes, Animas City Mountain and Grandview Ridge areas will reopen Friday.
Trails in these areas are closed annually from Dec. 1 to about April 15 to protect big game such as deer and elk during the winter time.
“Animals sense people and their pets and so they move away from that and they use critical energy,” said Shannon Borders, a spokewoman for the Bureau of Land Management.
The trails have been drying out in recent weeks, and the animals are moving to higher elevations, said Cathy Metz, director of Parks and Recreation. But this weekend may not be the ideal time to enjoy the trails because the National Weather Service is calling for rain and snow starting Friday and lasting through Monday.
Trail users should stay out of the mud to protect the landscape, Borders said.
Also, they could encounter some closed signs Friday while BLM staff works to reopen all the areas, she said.
Even though all the trails within the Twin Buttes Open Space are opening, the trails within the new development will be closed this summer for safety during construction, Metz said. The developer will put in infrastructure for the new homes, and there may be open trenches and other hazards.
“The developer will be responsible to notify the public with signage on site,” she said.
The trails that will be closed within the development area include BC&F, Traverse and part of the Lightner Creek Trail, according to a city map.
These trails could be closed for several years for construction, and their routes could change as a result of the construction. But there will be trail connectivity from the subdivision to the city’s open space eventually, she said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
