By Shannon Lukens. (File photo)

The footbridge at Fish Creek Falls will be temporarily closed, on Tuesday, April 1. It closes every year at this time due to concerns for public safety with so much high water from snowmelt rushing under the bridge. The Routt National Forest has issued the Forest Order to close the bridge and about four miles of Fish Creek Trail. The closure is in effect through July 1.

The picnic site and upper overlook trail will stay open.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working with an engineering firm on a permanent replacement for the bridge.

 

Forest Service News Release; March 31, 2025.

Fish Creek Falls bridge temporarily closed

The recreation site remains open, but the bridge to the falls and trail beyond are closed.

(STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo.)  March 31, 2025 – Effective Tuesday, April 1, a temporary closure of the footbridge at Fish Creek Falls will be in place. This is an annual closure for public safety during high water months due to lingering structural integrity concerns with the bridge.

The Routt National Forest has utilized a Forest Order to temporarily close the bridge and an approximately four-mile section of Fish Creek Trail (Forest Trail 1102).

Fish Creek Falls picnic site and upper overlook trail remain open to view the falls, or visitors can walk down Fish Creek Trail to the bridge, but not past that point.

The closure is in place April 1 – July 1 during high water flows and can be employed each year through 2027 dependent on repair schedule. A temporary fix has been put in place by the USDA Forest Service, but that fix is only sufficient for public safety during lower creek flows and with limited bridge occupancy (weight limit).

Bridge abutments have been structurally compromised due to scouring from high flow levels over the years, resulting in a brief closure in 2023 and now the more consistent seasonal closure to address safety concerns.

On-the-ground signage will inform visitors at the recreation site, as well as on the east end of the trail closure near its’ junction with Mountain View Trail (Forest Trail 1032) at Long Lake.

The USDA Forest Service is actively working with an engineering firm to design a permanent bridge replacement. Forest Service staff gave a public update on the bridge, Jan. 21, 2025, in Steamboat Springs

Fish Creek Falls is located just east of Steamboat Springs on the Routt National Forest. It receives heavy visitation year-round to view and photograph the nearly 300-foot-tall falls. The Forest Service-managed site is both a trailhead and picnic site. It is a day-use fee area, requiring a $5 vehicle/day-use fee.

For information on recreation in the Steamboat Springs area, as well as National Forest access, contact the HPBE Ranger District at (970) 870-2299 or visit our website. Additional Forest information is available on social media: @FS_MBRTB on X or @FSMBRTB on Facebook.

 

-USDA-