Both Soapstone Prairie Natural Area and Red Mountain Open Space have closed for the season. Soapstone, managed by Fort Collins Natural Areas and Red Mountain, managed by Larimer County Natural Resources, close annually from Dec 1st until March 1st due to “sensitive wintering range for large mammals and low recreational opportunities.”
Be sure to check with the city and county for reopening information, as it is weather dependent.
Soapstone Master Plan Closure Information:
https://www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/pdf/soapstone-management-plan.pdf
“Soapstone Prairie will be closed to public use from December 1 – end of February of each year. This closure corresponds to relatively low levels of public visitation while allowing wildlife to endure critical winter periods without disturbance from recreation activities. Few winter recreation opportunities exist on Soapstone Prairie (cross country skiing, snowshoeing, etc.) given the limited amount of snow cover due to low precipitation and wind-scouring. In addition, the need for road maintenance related to blowing snow will be eliminated with this closure.”
Red Mountain Master Plan Closure Information:
https://www.larimer.org/sites/default/files/uploads/2017/red_mountain_plan.pdf
“Red Mountain Open Space is included within a mule deer winter concentration area which generally corresponds with the months of December through March (Colorado Division of Wildlife). For this reason as well as others (low visitation, inclement weather, muddy trails, lack of snow for winter recreation) Red Mountain Open Space will be closed seasonally in winter months.”
