Manitou Springs Officials Close Manitou Incline, Deputies Cite Medical Emergency

City of Manitou Springs officials closed the manitou incline just after 9:30 a.m. Saturday, saying only: "The Incline is CLOSED". El Paso County Sheriff’s Office deputies later said the trail would stay shut until further notice because responders were helping an individual experiencing a medical emergency.

The closure landed on Memorial Day weekend, when more hikers were likely headed for the trail. The incline climbs over 2,000 feet in under a mile, and officials have previously warned climbers to assess their physical fitness before starting.

Manitou Springs closure notice

Officials first estimated the shutdown would last eight hours, but deputies updated that plan shortly before 10 a.m. Saturday. Their statement tied the closure to law enforcement and first responder activity on the trail.

People already on the incline were asked to avoid the area near the 1,000-step rest area. Hikers could leave at steps 395, 1,300, and 1,800, then take the Northern Incline Trail or the Barr Trail back down.

Incline trail exits

That guidance gave hikers specific ways to get off the mountain instead of waiting near the closure point. It also narrowed the impacted area to the upper sections around the rest stop, rather than the full route from bottom to top.

The request came against the backdrop of a trail that has drawn medical attention before. Last year, a 64-year-old Oregon man died while climbing the Incline, and his cause of death was never released.

Memorial Day weekend hike

For anyone planning a holiday climb, the immediate takeaway was simple: the route was not open and could not be assumed to reopen on the original eight-hour estimate. The city’s initial notice and the sheriff’s later update pointed to the same practical result for visitors — stay away until the closure is lifted.