On the night of October 5, a large boulder fell down onto Boulder Canyon Drive – located just west of Boulder – blocking westbound traffic. The road has since fully reopened, but the situation highlights a risk in this part of the state that’s been having major impacts to local recreation in recent months.

In November of 2024, the trail to Boulder Falls waterfall – located off of Boulder Canyon Drive – was closed following a “catastrophic” rockfall that left the area very unstable and dangerous. Despite the closure, some had still been hiking in the area, with the risk of entering the zone perhaps highlighted with a fatality that occurred in the area of the falls in August of 2025. Around that time, online commentary reported that people had been circumventing fencing that had blocked the area off.

This month, the saga of Boulder Falls and its closure status has continued, with Denver7 reporting that the falls may “close for good” due to the instability of the area’s rugged landscape. While officials have been working to assess the situation in order to determine if risk mitigation is possible, time is starting to prove that there isn’t a simple fix.

At this point, officials are urging the public to follow closure orders, hoping to have a decision related to access to the area finalized by January.

Find more information about this update on the Denver7 website.