Castlewood Canyon State Park bridges washed out, damaged by heavy rain
Thanks to this month's heavy rainfall, all bridge crossings over Cherry Creek in Castlewood Canyon State Park have been destroyed. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is warning visitors that there is no path to cross the creek in the park.
Instead, hikers should consider any loop trails to be out-and-back.
All bridges at Castlewood Canyon State Park have been washed out from the heavy rainfall last week. Cherry Creek is running very high. There is no creek crossing at this time.
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) June 28, 2023
This is the bridge on the Inner Canyon Trail. pic.twitter.com/ZGec2sjOPf
Bridge repair work will take weeks and may not be completed before August. That's because park staff cannot begin construction until water levels recede.
Castlewood Canyon has received 14.01 inches of rain since Jan. 1, according to the National Weather Service. That means that creek levels are two feet above normal operating levels with the high-level mark recorded last Thursday at 9.5 feet.
Normal creek levels are considered to be between two to three feet.
In addition to the bridge damage, Creek Bottom Trail also suffered significant damage.