GOLDEN, Colo. (KDVR) — If your weekend plans include a trip to a Jefferson County Open Space park, park rangers say you need to be aware of an increased risk of rockfalls.
Clear Creek Canyon Park has seen three large rockfalls in the past few days. One damaged a wood flume, another bent a metal sign and the third dented the concrete trail.
“We don’t see a ton of rockfalls but we can see them and sometimes it does cause significant damage,” Jefferson County Open Space ranger Andrew Joyce said.
No one was injured in the recent rockfalls. However, the rockfalls at Clear Creek Canyon Park have occurred in areas where visitors may be present.
“If you’re kind of in this freeze-thaw cycle, we are in the spring and we do get moisture, that’s maybe a time to be extra cognizant when you’re out hiking the trails,” Joyce said.
According to Joyce, rockfalls are common in the spring due to moisture, freezing, expanding and thawing. It is similar to how potholes form in asphalt.
“This time of year when we go through this freeze-thaw cycle we’ll get moisture, it’ll freeze and it’ll actually kind of push the rocks away and when it thaws out, it leaves a gap,” Joyce said.
He says hikers need to look and listen for signs of rocks cracking or tumbling on any trail where rock may be present.
“We have a lot of parks with a lot of rocks,” Joyce said. “We have 260 miles of trail. There are a lot of trails that are right below rocks, so just be really cautious of where you’re hiking.”
He advises hikers who use earbuds to keep at least one out at all times in order to hear potential dangers.