Flooding washes away Rainbow Falls trail

Flash flooding has wreaked havoc on a popular trail in Manitou Springs. Rainbow Falls is closed to the public after part of its trail collapsed in the creek.

That part of the walkway has been reduced to a pile of boulders.

“It’s really disappointing, but we knew that the flooding potential was very high with the burn area up above,” said El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark.

Back by the falls, there’s also been flooding and falling rocks. Now there’s a lot more than just graffiti around the water.

“It’s got a lot of sediment in it, ash and other things that are an environmental hazards,” said Clark.

Some remain determined to get to the falls, despite “No Trespassing” signs and road blocks.

“I didn’t have too much of a problem jumping around on the rocks,” said Evan Powell.

He wasn’t alone.

“There was about 10 other people back there,” said Powell. “There was a group of kids playing in waterfall and just people having fun.”

Clark said the area is a safety hazard and still susceptible to flooding and rock slides. She said people who continue to use Rainbow Falls are putting themselves and first responders at risk.

She said the county is working to try to re-open the area as soon as possible.

“I think we’ll eventually get there,” said Clark. “We’re calling in some assistance and assessment from the Colorado Department of Transportation, hoping that CDOT will do some work up above to prevent further erosion.”

Clark said a Sept. 8 cleanup at Rainbow Falls is going to go on as scheduled and some trail repair should happen then.