The footbridge at Fish Creek Falls in Steamboat Springs will temporarily close starting Tuesday, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The annual closure is due to public safety concerns during high water months as a result of “lingering structural integrity” related to the bridge.

“The closure is in place April 1 – July 1 during high water flows and can be employed each year through 2027 dependent on repair schedule. A temporary fix has been put in place by the USDA Forest Service, but that fix is only sufficient for public safety during lower creek flows and with limited bridge occupancy (weight limit),” according to a Forest Service news release.

The temporary closure comes with a Forest Order that also includes a roughly four-mile section of the Fish Creek Trail — Forest Trail 1102.

Abutments to the bridge have been “structurally compromised, due to high flow water levels in recent years,” according to the Forest Service. The situation resulted in a brief closured in 2023, “and now the more consistent seasonal closure to address safety concerns,” according to the statement.

According to the Forest Service, the agency is “actively working with an engineering firm to design a permanent bridge replacement.”

The Fish Creek Falls picnic site and upper overlook trail will remain open to view the falls during the closure, the statement added, and visitors can also walk down Fish Creek Trail to the bridge, but not past that point.

The 300-foot Fish Creek Falls is located east of Steamboat Springs and receives a high volume of year-round visitors. The trailhead and picnic site are designated as a day-use fee area, requiring a $5 vehicle/day-use fee.