Before the legal opening of the Manitou Incline to hiking, the public was given a few opportunities to give input on rules for the Incline. Most of the rules were common courtesy and didn’t generate much discussion. However, there were 2 rules that were controversial.
The 2 rules that many didn’t agree with were dawn to dusk hours and no dogs. The dawn to dusk rule was mandated by Colorado Springs Park and Rec for safety. The no dogs rule was pushed by a vocal minority of people that don’t like dogs plus those that were tired of dog owners not picking up after them.
As the popularity of the Incline increased after legalization, the pre-dawn crowds grew. Residents along Ruxton Avenue complained about being woken up by people excited to take on the challenge of the Incline. The number of dogs on the Incline decreased but many people continued to take their dogs.
It wasn’t surprising that people that had been ignoring the No Trespassing sign for years ignored the new rules. The rules couldn’t be enforced as the Incline is an easement across private property and an agreement was needed to allow the Manitou Springs police to write tickets.
The agreement necessary for enforcement of the Manitou Incline rules is now in place. Starting Friday April 1st, 2016 rule violators will be issued a citation and will be required to appear in Manitou Springs Municipal Court.
The rules remain mostly the same but the dawn to dusk rule has been replaced with hours of operation since specific times are needed for enforcement. The Manitou Incline hours are 6 AM to 8 PM from April 1st to October 31st and 6 AM to 6 PM from November 1st to March 31st.
