PARKER, Colo. — The Incline Challenge and trails located at Hess Reservoir in Parker will open to the public on Thanksgiving Day, the Rueter-Hess Recreation Authority (RHRA) announced Tuesday.
The Incline and surrounding trails, which are the first phase of RHRA’s Recreational Master Plan, will be open from sunup to sundown seven days a week.
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“We know that residents have been anxiously waiting for regular recreation activities to open at Rueter-Hess. We are very happy to have Phase I complete and the Incline ready for public use,” said RHRA President Darcy Beard.
Located immediately west of the Rueter-Hess Water Purification Facility, a parking lot has been designated for visitors at the bottom of the Incline.
Visitors can access it by turning west off of Heirloom Parkway when they reach the Rueter-Hess Water Purification Facility and continuing west to the designated Incline parking area.
The Incline features 132 steps, and the Rosie Rueter Trail loop that leads to and from the parking lot is just over a mile long.
The RHRA and Douglas County will hold a grand opening event in the spring, after Douglas County’s new East-West Regional Trail (which will connect to the Incline trails) is complete.
RHRA’s full Recreational Master Plan, including information and future plans for recreation at Rueter-Hess Reservoir, can be viewed here.
The RHRA said the Thanksgiving Day opening could be delayed if new COVID-19 restrictions are implemented that prevent the area from being used.
RHRA is a regional collaboration of six local government agencies to bring recreational opportunities to Rueter-Hess Reservoir. The Authority is made up of Parker Water, Town of Castle Rock, Town of Parker, City of Castle Pines, City of Lone Tree, and Douglas County.
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