Horsetooth Mountain Open Space is closed until further notice.
Officials with Larimer County Natural Resources made the announcement Thursday morning, saying the closure is due to recent mountain lion activity.
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The popular park west of Fort Collins and Horsetooth Reservoir includes more than 2,700 acres of county land and has 29 miles of hiking and biking trails. This week’s closure includes both the main entrance off of County Road 38 and the Soderberg trailhead.
The closure comes a little more than three weeks after the death of Kristen Marie Kovatch of Fort Collins. The 46-year-old woman was hiking on the Crosier Mountain Trail near Glen Haven and Estes Park when she was attacked and killed by a mountain lion.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife responded to the scene and euthanized two mountain lions in the area. That trail has since reopened.
Wildlife officials say mountain lion attacks are extremely rare, with only 29 attacks on people since 1990. The state is home to between 3,800 and 4,400 mountain lions.
KUNC News reached out to Larimer County for further comment on the circumstances of the Horsetooth Mountain closure, but officials have yet to reply.
