Lory State Park to reopen April 19

After being closed by the March 15 Galena fire, Lory State Park will reopen to the public on April 19.

Some trail closures will remain in effect, while the Park works on the reinstallation of bridges. These include the East and West Valley Trails and the east portion of the South Valley Trail Loop. Park staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to remove all burned and hazardous materials from the ten bridge sites burned in the fire.

The structural designs for all the bridges were donated by professional engineers from Kiwanis Club with oversight from the Parks and Wildlife engineer. Some materials for the new bridges have been donated by Kiwanis Club, Gnarrunners and private citizens with the goal of replacement by early May.

All other trails will be open and accessible.

“We appreciate all of the help and support from the fire departments, volunteers, and community partners like Northern Water, Otterbox and the Friends of Lory State Park in getting us back up and running,” said Larry Butterfield, park manager for Lory. “Lory is going to be in great shape for all users and events held here.”

Lory State Park, located in Bellvue, offers visitors a variety of rugged terrain and the stunning vistas of the northern Colorado Front Range. The park covers almost 2,600 acres and features 26 miles of trails that lead through forest, meadows and rock-outcroppings, offering visitors great terrain for mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, bouldering and horseback riding. Additional information on Lory State Park is available at: www.parks.state.co.us/Parks/Lory.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages 42 state parks, more than 300 state wildlife areas, all of Colorado’s wildlife, and a variety of outdoor recreation. For more information go to cpw.state.co.us