Triangle Lake Rock Slides closed for a 'few months,' officials say

Triangle Lake Rock Slides closed for a 'few months,' officials say

A popular spot to beat the heat is closed for the next couple of months -- leaving many labor day visitors disappointed.

Kezi nine news reporter connor mccarthy went out to the triangle lake rock slides today and found out why the pandemic wasnt the only factor leading up to this decision.

"i'm a little surprised" car's filing into the parking lot... "little dissapointed" learning the news.... "it's kind of drag."

The rock slides are closed for the next few months maddie: "we saw a sign early on that it said it might be closed so we were like okay but we're going to try to find something else to do."

The bureau of land manngement was expecting large crowds this hot holiday weekend at the rock slides.

"i wasn't expecting to not to be many people but then i started thinking if there was a lot of people, i wouldn't be comfortable with that."

Large crowds created a posbile health hazard during the pandemic.

Connor: " the bureau of land managemnt says covid-19 is not the only factor that forced the closure of the rock slides.

They say that there is a whole list of safety issues one of those issues is that the parking lot here is too small for the overal capacity of visitors that come to the rock slides on a daily basis.

They say people are forced to park along highway 36 creating a hazard for vistiors as well as drivers."

Mackeley: "a lot of people have been falling off the rock sldies and bumping their heads."

Mackeley cullmer lives in the areas and says the rock slides has been a constant headache for locals.

Mackeley: "all the litter down there is appaling.

We had two cool guys come in, they're really sweet, and pick up five large trash bags of trash, just from that day."

Trash, traffic, and covid-19 gave the bureau of land managemnt no choice..

But to shut it down.

Cheryl: "we tried as many measures as we could to keep it open safely but when it came down to it this week we realized we just couldn't" adcock says they are working to create more parking and more trails to make it safer for visitors.

So this is not the end of the rock slides.

"it's unfortunate that there's been vanadlism and it's just to bad for us who are responsinble we are being shunned and we can't do this."

Reporting in triangle lake connor mccarthy kezi nine