City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks will temporarily keep the new Vesper Trail and a surrounding area on Gunbarrel Hill closed to protect burrowing owls. The owls began breeding close to the new trail just as the department was completing trail construction.
Burrowing owls are declining throughout Colorado and the city requests that visitors respect this temporary closure, which will help protect one of the only burrowing owl nests on city-managed open space. Even minor disturbances to nesting burrowing owls – a state-threatened species that nests in prairie dog burrows – may affect their ability to reproduce successfully.
The area and trail closure to help protect burrowing owls could last through Thursday, October 31, a date recommended by state wildlife officials. City staff recognize community interest in accessing the new trail northeast of Boulder and will monitor nesting owls and may open it earlier than October 31 based on staff wildlife observations. The adjacent East Boulder – Gunbarrel Trail – where OSMP recently conducted extensive trail repairs and maintenance work – is open for community members to enjoy.
Burrowing owls in Colorado rely on burrows created by other animals, especially prairie dogs, for nesting and cover. They migrate to this area to breed and are found in open grasslands and shrublands. OSMP appreciates Gunbarrel-area community members' patience and support in protecting wildlife in the area – including burrowing owls, a federally-protected species. The department looks forward to opening the trail after burrowing owls complete their breeding season.
The new Vesper Trail is a result of an OSMP community engagement effort (Gunbarrel Hill Integrated Site Plan) intended to improve visitor experiences on Gunbarrel Hill while also improving wildlife habitat in the area. As part of new trail construction, OSMP will restore undesignated trails that can impact wildlife habitats and will be seeding grassland areas with native vegetation to help improve habitat for ground-nesting birds and other wildlife species.
OSMP Rangers patrol closed areas regularly and people who enter the closure area on Gunbarrel Hill may receive a citation. OSMP encourages community members to visit OSMPTrails.org to explore other trails across the department’s 155-mile trail system. For more information on the temporary closure, please contact OSMP at 303-441-3440. Community members can see current wildlife closures across the city’s open space system through an interactive webmap.
