BOISE, Idaho — Table Rock is no doubt one of Boise's most popular hiking trails but the organization that maintains it says when the trail is closed, people need to keep out.
According to Ridge to Rivers, people have been ignoring the closure signs and hiking the trail anyway, causing lasting damage to the trails.
"Days like this are kind of our worst nightmare in terms of damage to the trail system," said David Gordon with Ridge to Rivers.
Gordon said when conditions are sunny like Monday and this past Sunday, it might seem like Table Rock would be dry, but a closed sign indicates conditions are still muddy.
"The trails at Table Rock have a higher clay content, so they mud up quicker and stay muddy a lot longer than a lot of the rest of the trails in the system," Gordon said.
People who ignore the sign are causing irreversible damage.
"When they are walking in this mud, in particular, they are leaving deep footprints and it can look like a feedlot, literally," Gordon said. "That stuff won’t smooth out over time. It just gets hard and it is not a comfortable experience for everyone else the rest of the year."
During KTVB's interview with Gordon near a trailhead, multiple people blew past the closure sign and ignored Gordon when he called after them.
He hopes that people who break the rules might get more than a talking to.
"We are hoping at some point to be able to cite people that are going to go beyond the signs when they are closed," Gordon said.
So, when will Table Rock re-open? Gordon says likely in the next few days, but the trail could close again if more moisture is in the forecast.
"Every morning, we let people know via our Facebook page and our website whether the trails are open or closed and we give a lot of great information on the rest of the trail system," Gordon explained.
When Table Rock is closed, Gordon says Hulls Gulch and Dry Creek are good alternatives because soil on those trails is sandy.
Table Rock is the only trail that formally closes but Gordon says a good rule of thumb is if you are leaving muddy tracks, turn around.
Gretchen Parsons is an anchor, reporter and producer at KTVB since 2016. You can follow her on Instagram @gretchenparsonsKTVB or @gretchenKTVB on Twitter.