Cheyenne Canon to close May 19 and 20 for dead tree removal, other work – KKTV 11 News

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Parkgoers will again need to make other plans Tuesday and Wednesday if wanting to spend the morning or afternoon at Cheyenne Canon.

The park will be closed to visitors from 5 a.m.-3 p.m. on the 19h and 20th so that crews can continue removing dead trees and perform other necessary maintenance work. The park was previously closed on the 12th and 13th.

The city says among the work started last week and continuing Tuesday, crews will be removing between 30-40 dead and hazardous trees along Cheyenne Canon Road, the main artery in and out of the park, as well as doing maintenance on ditches and culverts along Gold Camp Road.

The trees in question were killed off by beetles several years ago, said city forester Dennis Will.

"Theyre 80 feet tall. They weigh literally tons, and they would put a bonk on your head if they fell on you, so were very concerned about citizen safety. So we want to take the opportunity to take those trees out before they fall and hurt somebody," Will said.

Cheyenne Canon has been even more popular than ever since the COVID-19 outbreak left citizens with few entertainment options beyond the great outdoors. But this Tuesday and Wednesday is a great time to check out another park or open space in El Paso County. The gate to Cheyenne Canon will be closed during the aforementioned hours, but there are still trails leading into the park that don't require using the gate. Even with those back ways into the park, bikers, hikers, runners and other recreation seekers are asked to stay out so that work can be done safely.

"We just have to make sure that everybody is safe. We cant have anyone in there. We want our sawers to be perfectly safe while theyre also working. We dont want them worried about dropping a tree or branch on somebody else. We want them totally focused on what theyre doing, so its about their safety as well as people who may be in the park," Will said.

If the work isn't finished on the 20th, crews will come back at a later date.

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Cheyenne Canon to close May 19 and 20 for dead tree removal, other work - KKTV 11 News