Access to Horsetooth Reservoir bouldering area closed!

The parking area at Land of the Overhangs bouldering area at Horsetooth Reservoir has been arbitrarily closed by Larimer County Parks and Open Lands. I have parked in this area for the past 21 years the area is now barricaded off and posted ostensibly owing to "vandalism and illegal drug use... "

This is in fact an effort by Larimer County Parks and Open Lands to prevent "free" use of the park under the guise of controlling gangsta activity.

If you object to this de facto closure of a popular bouldering locale in an attempt to further fleece the inhabitants of Larimer County then write to Larimer County Parks and Open Lands Director Gary Buffington at:

buffingk@co.larimer.co.us

This sign details the purported rationale for closing the Land of the Overhangs parking lot.

THIS IS TOTAL NONSENSE!

This is nothing more than a cynical ploy by Larimer County Parks and Open Lands to close a free access parking area so that those wishing to park and boulder must use a pay-only lot...

Proof that the Land of the Overhangs parking area closure has nothing to do with controlling gangsta activity. The free 45 minute parking area south of the Rotary Bouldering area were similarly barricaded and posted recently to prevent free use of this bouldering locale forcing visitors to use the pay lot where there are ticketed if not ponying up to park...

Barricading the parking area at Land of the Overhangs will not subvert gangsta activity! Case in Point is this pay area at Horsetooth Reservoir freshly graffitied by local homeboys..

Hey guess what, Gangstas are CRIMINALS they don't pay the parking fee when the stop to spray paint stuff.

Closing these areas is just a ruse to extort more money from everyday citizens, pay up or face a ticket from the army of rolling revenue collectors employed by Larimer County Park and Open Lands.

WHAT PART OF "OPEN" DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!

Contact Gary Buffington at:

buffingk@co.larimer.co.us

Tell him your pissed and to pull those boulders out of there!

What kind of logic is that?? So we`ll inconvenience the vandals and drug users by making them walk in... Because thats the entire reason for the closure, not to generate revenue by forcing people to park in a pay lot.

RobC2 wrote:The parking area at Land of the Overhangs bouldering area at Horsetooth Reservoir has been arbitrarily closed by Larimer County Parks and Open Lands. I have parked in this area for the past 21 years the area is now barricaded off and posted ostensibly owing to "vandalism and illegal drug use... " This is in fact an effort by Larimer County Parks and Open Lands to prevent "free" use of the park under the guise of controlling gangsta activity. If you object to this de facto closure of a popular bouldering locale in an attempt to further fleece the inhabitants of Larimer County then write to Larimer County Parks and Open Lands Director Gary Buffington at: buffingk@co.larimer.co.us

Bill Czajkowski wrote: Your choice of words makes me dislike you more than them.

Before jumping to conclusions, I think a look at this years change of policies would suggest that Larimer County Parks and Open Lands are not trying to prevent "free" use of the park. A recent change of policy is that you no longer have to have a permit to walk, run, or bike into the park. Thus, their official policy actually increases the amount of free use. Note that in years past, if you mountain biked into the park you were supposed to pay the daily fee or have a yearly permit (according to rangers I talked to about this). I am unsure about the land of the overhang rules, but I would be surprised that if you bouldered there you were supposed to have a permit. However, I don't know of anyone who ever got ticketed, and I don't know of anyone who ever got ticket for biking without a permit.

Being a broke dirt bag climber I am kinda bummed about this...I wouldn't want to pay $70 for a year pass to Larimer county open space. Why do that when you can get a year pass to Eldo state park, or even Lory State Park to climb arthur's rock which has an abundance of bouldering and sport climbing with potential for new routes....sucks the free parking is gone at rotary ....whats next parking fee's at Duncan's ridge?

If you didn't notice they also made the Skyline parking lot free and its not timed you can park there all day for FREE. Stop being so cheap and do your research before bashing the parks department. They are funded by the park visitors, if people stopped paying the park would go away. They don't get tax money, the quarter percent sales tax only applies to the Open Lands division which is separate from Parks. You all that have been parking in the free spots haven't paid a dime for the amount of maintenance a park like that takes to remain open to the public. If you don't want to pay the day pass fees how bout you spend your billions of dollars that you have saved over the years from not paying for park amenities and buy your own piece of land to climb on.