Trail cameras catch hikers entering closed Highlands Ranch eagle trail

Trail cameras captured people bypassing signs and gates to enter the closed Wildcat Mountain Trail in Highlands Ranch, a restricted stretch in the Backcountry Wilderness Area set aside to protect a nesting pair of golden eagles and their eaglet. Highlands Ranch Community Association officials say the closure is not optional and is required under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s trail-closure rules.

The violation matters because the birds are sensitive to human disturbance during nesting and rearing. HRCA says the Wildcat Mountain Golden Eagle Territory has produced 12 fledglings since 2011, a record it points to as proof the protection measures have worked. Peter Reshetniak of the Raptor Education Foundation said golden eagles do not tolerate human proximity as well as bald eagles and said the restrictions are grounded in sound ecological reasons.

Access to the area is tightly controlled by season. HRCA says the Wildcat Mountain Trail system closes every year from Jan. 1 through March 31 for wintering wildlife, then reopens April 1 except for the Wildcat Mountain Trail itself if eagles have begun nesting. When that happens, the affected portion of Douglas County’s East/West Regional Trail stays shut as well, typically until Sept. 1. HRCA said the current closure on the Wildcat Mountain Trail will last until Sept. 1.

The access issue extends well beyond a single footpath. Douglas County says the East/West Regional Trail is about 27 miles one way and connects Highlands Ranch, Castle Pines, Lone Tree and Parker. HRCA says the Backcountry has more than 25 miles of natural-surface trails, including 11.2 miles of private trails for residents and guests and 12 miles of the county trail running through the area. The planned Wildcat Regional Park, a 202-acre regional park in the northeast portion of the Backcountry Wilderness Area, adds another layer to the long-running tension between recreation and habitat protection.

Officials also said the trail-camera images could support a law-enforcement investigation. Reported penalties for violating eagle-protection rules can reach $250,000 and include possible jail time, a reminder that the closure carries legal weight as well as conservation value. Douglas County previously closed a one-mile section of the East/West Regional Trail and parts of the HRCA Wildcat Mountain Trail in 2020 for nesting golden eagles, and the latest violations suggest stricter enforcement could follow if hikers keep crossing the line.