At Fishers Peak State Park, the summit trails close in spring for nesting raptors

Fishers Peak is the big flat-topped mountain that watches over Trinidad. Much of it is now Fishers Peak State Park, one of Colorado’s newer state parks, with trails for hiking and biking and a long climb toward the summit near 9,633 feet.

Here is the part a visitor should plan around. The trails that reach the high country, including the ones that take you toward the top, close for part of each year so peregrine falcons can nest on the cliffs without people nearby. The closure runs roughly from the middle of March into the end of July. During that window you can still enjoy the lower trails, but the route to the summit is off the table.

This is a normal way Colorado protects nesting raptors, and the dates can be adjusted year to year. So a plan that worked for a friend last fall may not work for a trip in late spring. There are also park hours and an entrance pass to account for.

If reaching the summit is the goal, check the current trail status and closure dates with Colorado Parks and Wildlife before you make the drive.