Four trails at Sky Mountain Park will be closed starting tomorrow for an elk hunt.
Five hunters won the chance to hunt one cow elk each in the popular Pitkin County open space through a lottery this past spring. The Sky Mountain Park management plan allows for limited hunting.
Officials from Pitkin County and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) set the number of elk that can be hunted here, and it’s a delicate balance.
"Because it is such a small hill, we don't want overcrowding on there," said Kurtis Tesch, CPW’s district wildlife manager.
The hunt will cover 1,200 acres between Highway 82 near the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport and Snowmass Village.
Airline, Cozyline, Skyline Ridge and Ditchline trails will be closed starting Wednesday, Nov. 15 and are expected to reopen on Monday, Nov. 20. The Sky Mountain Park area closes to protect winter wildlife habitat on Dec. 1.
