JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Two gates have been installed on Lookout Mountain Road — a project that supporters hope will cut down on illegal and destructive activities after sunset — with routine night closures set to begin later this month.

The decision to construct automatic gates on Lookout Mountain Road came after multiple community meetings and presentations dating back to 2022. After its approval, two gates were installed to close a 4.1-mile stretch of road overnight.

Jefferson County Open Space

The gates passed an inspection on Jan. 8, and crews are moving into a couple weeks of testing with first responders, who will have the ability to open and close the gates overnight during an emergency, according to a Wednesday update from the Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS). This testing period will run through Jan. 28.

The following day, Jan. 29, the routine night closures will begin.

JCSO said the timing around the closure will vary by season. In the winter, the gates will close at 7 p.m. and reopen at 5 a.m. Beginning the second Sunday in March until Oct. 30, the gates will close one hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise.

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The gates will automatically open to allow drivers to exit the closed area after hours. Pedestrians and bicyclists are allowed to access the road when the gates are closed.

The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners (BOC) supported the proposal back in February 2024, when Denver7 did a deep-dive into the proposed gates and reason behind it.

You can read our story here and watch the video below.

Jeffco county commissioners support proposal to close Lookout Mtn. Road at night

By November 2023, 13 stakeholders — including law enforcement, fire rescue agencies, and Denver Mountain Parks — had asked for community input on the proposed yearround overnight closure.

Mary Ann Bonnell, director of JCOS visitor services & natural resources, told Denver7 in February 2024 that this has been a passion project for her. The comparison she saw between the daytime use — full of love and appreciation for the space — and the destructive nighttime use was enormous.

“They are firing firearms. They are consuming alcohol. They are leaving trash behind,” she told us last year. “We find needles. We find evidence of people using marijuana. We’ve got empty dispensary containers. We’ve got clothing. We’ve got trash. All things indicate that what’s happening up there after night — after dark — is not safe and is not healthy for the mountain.”

JCSO said it found that the road is busier at midnight than it is at 10 a.m. on weekends.

Residents who live in the nearby neighborhoods say their communities can feel like a war zone at night.

“It’s changed our quality of life,” Tom Primozich, who lives in Golden, said last year. “I don’t sleep well at night anymore. I lay awake worrying about when am I going to hear gunfire and when is it going to break my windows? Or go through the roof of my house? Or when my wife has to take the dog out — is she going to come back? Or is the dog going to come back? … It’s not a safe situation anymore.”

Kimbo Explores Photography | Posted in Discover Colorado Through Your Photos page

During public meeting discussions in December 2023 and February 2024, community support for the proposal was “overwhelmingly positive,” according to a Board of County Commissioners briefing paper on the issue. About 200 people participated in those meetings, and residents brought up specific concerns: bullet projectiles in their driveways, racing motorcycles, fences broken by suspected drunk drivers, hearing gunshots from Lookout Mountain during a barbecue, gunfire damage to local signs, home windows blown out by gunfire. Many said they could no longer allow their children to play outside after sunset.

Golden City Manager Vargo and Golden Chief of Police Harvey sent a letter to the JCOS director dated Feb. 13, 2024, adding their concerns for residents’ safety. They explained significant noise pollution and speeding on the road, as well as reports of gunshots fired from the top of Lookout Mountain.

“We have done considerable public outreach and there is nearly unilateral support for the addition of nighttime vehicle access gates and for this installation to be accomplished as quickly as possible,” the letter read.

Other stakeholders followed suit with similar letters, including from Denver Mountain Parks Director Shannon Dennison, Foothills Fire & Rescue Fire Chief Rod Cameron, and Golden Fire Department Deputy Chief of Operations Sean Jones.