Whitewater Preserve reopens one day after bear closure
One day after a tree-clambering bear shut down the Whitewater Preserve, the park has reopened. A black bear was spotted by climbing a tree by campers around 8 a.m., Wednesday, right before the park was set to open.
According to Tori Stanton, the Preserve’s assistant manager, bear appearances are not an uncommon occurrence and the closure was done out of an abundance of caution.
The Preserve will be open for it’s regular operating hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.
Whitewater Canyon will remain closed, following the Bureau of Land Management’s recommendation:
“The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) fire closure for Whitewater Canyon is in effect starting Monday, June 18, 2018, and in place until further notice. Any violation of the fire closure, including parking on Whitewater Canyon Road, may result in a fine by the BLM.
Whitewater Preserve remains open and the only legal parking in the Canyon is in the Whitewater Preserve parking lot. Preserve hours are 8 am to 5 pm. Please arrive early, and carpool if you are with a large group, as the parking lot fills quickly.”
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