Bear Creek Dog Park workers take advantage of Saturday’s unusual closure

Many dog owners weren’t happy when the popular Bear Creek Dog Park on 21st Street in Colorado Springs closed Saturday to make room for a giant water side in front.

“I can’t believe they closed the park for this,” said one disgruntled owner who walked away with her dog.

Several dog owners were likewise disappointed.

But a four-man crew at the park saw the closure as an opportunity to do work they normally can’t do because the park is so busy.

County officials said the park is among the 10 best in the nation, and is most-visited park in El Paso County.

“It’s really weird to see an empty parking lot here,” said Josh Hudson, a park maintenance manager.

Hudson and his crew worked from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m., doing a variety of much-needed tasks.

“We’re taking care of ruts in the trail, and the trail base (itself),” he said. “We’re doing some major weed-eating and noxious weed-spraying. We’re doing some painting and a thorough cleaning of the restrooms. These are all things we can’t do as often as we’d like because the park is so heavily used and there are always people and pets around.”

County officials recommended that people take their dogs Saturday to the Fox Run Dog Park, or to other county parks and trails.

Rhonda Nakai said she understood the need for cleanup and repairs at Bear Creek, and didn’t mind not having access for a day.

“My dog likes to see the water slide,” she said. “And there’s a trail on the perimeter of the park that we could use.”

Perhaps as a reward for cooperating to allow the water slide, the slide’s local sponsor made an unspecified donation for park maintenance.

Hudson said a county crew did similar work last summer when the slide came to town for the first time.