closure
Incline to Remain Closed
Manitou Springs city council voted on March 17th, 2020 to close the Manitou Incline due to health concerns with covid-19. It has remained closed since then.
With the state going from Stay at Home orders to Safer at Home on April 27th, many Incline users were hoping to be able to climb again. During a Manitou Springs council work session on the evening of April 28th, Deputy City Manager, Roy Chaney, presented 2 options for re-opening the Incline.
The options Chaney presented were to open the Incline with a phased approach or keep the Incline close until an active management plan is in place. The phased approach would be based on the state’s Stay at Home Order, Safer at Home and Protect Our Neighbors guidelines.
The suggestions for the Safer at Home phase included 6 foot markings at the base to demonstrate the required 6 feet of social distance, having social distancing ambassadors and allowing uphill traffic only. They also included the idea of asking people to only use the Incline on certain days or hours based on last name.
After the presentation there was also a discussion of having the port-a-potty company also provide hand washing stations due to concerns about people not being able to wash their hands. These would be placed both at the free shuttle drop off and at the Incline base.
The council decided with little discussion that their were many issues to be considered. They will spend the next month working with the city administration to work through questions. The will discuss the Incline again at the May 26th city council meeting.
You can email the Manitou Springs city council your thoughts. Please keep your comments respectful and constructive. Let them know what the Incline means to you and how you support Manitou Springs businesses. You can find e-mail addresses for Manitou Springs officials here.
Manitou Incline Closed Due to COVID-19
Manitou Springs city council voted on the evening of March 17, 2020, to close the Manitou Incline and the shuttle from the free parking lot on Old Man’s Trail. The cited concerns during the coronavirus pandemic. Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation was not notified as required by the Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Colorado Springs and the City of Manitou Springs.
The Incline is closed as of March 18th and it’s unknown when it will reopen. The press release from Manitou Springs is below. Everyone stay safe and healthy during this time.
PRESS RELEASE 03/18/2020
Contact: (Alex Trefry)Position: (Public Information Officer)
RE: (Closure of Incline and Shuttle to Incline)
MEDIA RELEASE
The City’s number one priority is to protect its community, visitors, and employees. The City of Manitou Springs will close access to the Incline and the Metro shuttle to the Incline until further notice.
To reduce the transmission of COVID-19, the City will close the Incline as there are not suitable sanitization options available to those who visit the Incline. Additionally, the first responders who address emergencies on the incline are put into a high risk situation.
Due to the closure of the Incline, the Metro shuttle that visits the Incline will also be closed until further notice.
The Incline is an attraction that averages 1,000 visitors a day, and due to the current state of emergency, the City of Manitou Springs has found it in the best interest of the public, to close the Incline and the shuttle to the Incline until further notice.
“While we were reluctant to close the incline, we had far more grave reservations regarding public health”
-Mayor John Graham
Manitou Incline Closure August 2019
The Manitou Incline will be closed during the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon, Aug. 24 and 25, 2019, 6am to 5:30pm. The closures are implemented due to safety concerns during the events.
Runners will be on Ruxton and Barr Trail Saturday morning and most of the day on Sunday. Much of the parking near the Incline base will be closed off. Also search and rescue is involved with the running races so resources will be limited for potential injuries elsewhere.
Incline Closing August 18th and 19th, 2018 for Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon
The 2018 Pikes Peak Ascent is August 18th and the Pikes Peak Marathon is August 19th. Colorado Springs Parks and Rec has decided to close the Incline for the entire weekend.
Runners will be on Ruxton and Barr Trail Saturday morning and most of the day on Sunday. Much of the parking near the Incline base will be closed off. Also search and rescue is involved with the running races so resources will be limited for potential injuries elsewhere.
Manitou Incline Re-opens Early
The Manitou Incline closed August 21st for repairs that were original expected to take until mid-December. With good weather throughout the falls the expected re-opening date was moved to December 1st. Today, November 22nd, Colorado Springs Parks and Rec unexpectedly announced that it was open for hiking in time for Thanksgiving.
An official reopening celebration will take place on Friday, December 1 at 8 AM at the base of the Manitou Incline. The Gazette has some interesting stats for the Phase 3 repairs.
Enjoy the Incline or the scenery in the area? You can purchase a 2018 wall calendar that benefits the Incline through the Incline Friends. Find all the 2018 Incline calendar info on this page.
Manitou Incline Closure 2017
After uncertainty about funding for the 3rd phase of repairs for the Manitou Incline, Colorado Springs has announced that the Incline will be closing this fall. The City of Colorado Springs, in conjunction with the City of Manitou Springs, will start phase 3 improvements to the Mt. Manitou Incline on August 21.
The Incline will close for the Pikes Peak Ascent Marathon on August 19 and 20 and will remain closed for the repairs and renovations which are set to begin on Monday, August 21 and is expected to last into December. Construction will take place between Tie 2137 and Tie 2741, at the upper third of the Incline above the false summit. For more information on the construction project, visit www.coloradosprings.gov/incline.
The Incline project has four major goals: improved safety, enhanced user experience, long-term sustainability of the trail and increased accessibility. Work will include repairing and replacing damaged retaining walls, cleaning up the exposed rebar and loose debris, adding additional drainage structures, anchoring the existing ties, and stabilizing the surrounding slopes. Currently, there are several failed drainage structures. During construction, the failed infrastructure will be removed and new drainage structures will be installed. The increase in drainage structures will greatly help reduce the velocity of water, a critical factor in reducing erosion and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Incline.
Funding
The project cost is estimated to be $2 million. Funding is made possible by a Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program. The grant money allocated is provided as reimbursement for documented eligible costs. The City of Colorado Springs is responsible for the general oversight, trail enhancements, general maintenance of the Incline and to apply for grants to fund improvements, per the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Manitou Springs. For more information on the construction project, visit www.coloradosprings.gov/incline.
Incline Closing for 2016 Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon
Update from the Iron Springs Melodrama mid-morning on Saturday: The incline is open the rest of the day today and will be open from 3:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. tomorrow. That is from the El Paso County Sheriff Deputy who is sitting at the bottom and it’s fixing to leave, once again nobody puts out the right information about this thing.
The 2016 Pikes Peak Ascent is August 20th and the Pikes Peak Marathon is August 21st. Unlike past years, Colorado Springs Parks and Rec has decided to close the Incline for the entire weekend. This is an extra bummer since the Incline closes for repairs the following day.
Friday August 19th will be the last day to hike the Incline until early December. Members of the Incline Friends Board of Directors will be at the bottom of the Incline on the 19th at 7 AM and again at 6 PM to answer questions. They’ll be handing out free popsicles. Rumor has it they’ll also have tissues for those shedding tears over the Incline closure.
Incline Closure Coming Late Summer 2016
The Manitou Incline will once again be closing for repairs late summer of 2016. It will be closed from August 22 until early December, 2016 (Photo above is from 2014). In 2014 it was closed from August 18th through December 5th.
This time the repair work will address the bottom portion of the Incline. Colorado Springs Parks and Rec is saying it’s from Tie 1 to Tie 1525. I believe those tie numbers are from the study before the Manitou Incline was legalized in 2013. Since then several more ties have come loose and rolled into the bushes.
Work will include repairing and replacing damaged retaining walls, cleaning up the mess of rebar and loose debris, adding additional drainage structures, stabilizing the existing ties, and stabilizing the surrounding slopes. Currently, there are several failed drainage structures.
The project cost is one million dollars. Funding is made possible by a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant and Trail, Open Space and Parks Funding (TOPS).The City of Colorado Springs is responsible for the general oversight, trail enhancements, and maintenance of the Incline and to apply for grants for fund improvements, per the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Manitou Springs.
The official Colorado Springs Park and Rec page for the Manitou Incline has a FAQ on the closure. It also has general information on the Incline.
Incline Closures August 15th and 16th Weekend
The Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon are this weekend, August 15th and 16th (2015). The Ascent is on Saturday and the Marathon is on Sunday. About 1800 runners will head up Barr Trail Saturday morning and Sunday around 800 runners will go up Barr Trail to the summit and back down.
This year the city of Colorado Springs has decided that Incline users and that many runners on Barr Trail would be a bad mix. The Manitou Incline will be closed Saturday morning until 11 AM and it’ll be closed until 2 PM on Sunday.
Runners will still be coming down Barr Trail after 2 PM on Sunday but should be fairly spread out. While you’re returning on Barr Trail, please pay attention to runners coming up behind you and let them pass you. That’s actually what you should do on any day.
The Colorado Springs City Parks Department highly recommends Incline users to refrain from using the Incline during this weekend due to congestion and road closures. The Incline will resume normal hours of operation (dawn to dusk) on Monday, August 17. See complete Manitou Incline rules here.
