The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Department is temporarily closing the following areas in order to protect nesting and roosting raptors. The closures will begin Tuesday, Feb. 1, and run through July 31:

Lefthand Canyon Palisades at the intersection of Lefthand Canyon Drive and Olde Stage Road (Buckingham picnic area remains open);
Mount Sanitas, First Buttress, accessible from the Mount Sanitas trailhead, .5 miles west of Fourth Street and Mapleton Avenue (There are no closures to the bouldering areas along the ridge);
Gregory Canyon Amphitheater, including the Amphitheater Express Trail and the 3rd Pinnacle (The Amphitheater Trail to Saddle Rock will remain open);
Third Flatiron, including the East and West Ironing Boards, Queen Anne’s Head and Jaws, and WC Pinnacle and all descent routes accessible from Chautauqua trailhead, 900 Baseline Road;
Skunk Canyon, including Ridge 2, 3 and 4, the Aechean Pronouncement, the Dreadnaught, the North Ridge and the entirety of Sacred Cliffs, accessible from NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
The rock formation known as the Front Porch;
Bear Creek Spire, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
Fern Canyon, including the Goose, the Goose Eggs, the East Ridge and Nebel Horn, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road (The designated Fern Canyon hiking trail will remain open);
Shadow Canyon and the Matron, 1.7 miles west of Highway 93 on Eldorado Springs Drive. (The designated Shadow Canyon hiking trail will remain open, and the Maiden remains open and accessible from the east);
The entire Mickey Mouse wall, accessible from OSMP Lindsay property (This closure will be spatially expanded because of recent activity of Golden Eagles, Prairie Falcons, and Peregrine Falcons in the area);
The north side of Flagstaff Summit accessible from Flagstaff Summit parking area, 3.4 miles up Flagstaff Road and .5 miles up Flagstaff Summit Road;
Diamond Head and SoBo Buttress, west of Shadow Canyon;
The rock formation known as The Sphinx.
Because of the high-quality cliff habitat and rich food resources on OSMP lands, as well as community cooperation to protect nesting sites, the closed areas are important to the region for nesting falcons and eagles.

The City of Boulder has been monitoring raptor nesting and roosting areas since 1984. Sites are monitored by OSMP volunteers and staff. Trespass violations can result in a summons with penalties of up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. In addition to enforcement, OSMP relies heavily on the public to respect the closures, and the cooperation of visitors to these areas is greatly appreciated.

As part of OSMP’s adaptive management framework, closures may be lifted prior to July 31 if no raptor activity is observed at any of these sites.

For more information on OSMP raptor closures, including maps of the affected areas, visit www.osmp.org or call 303-441-3440.