Barr Camp remains closed due to COVID, unclear when it will reopen

UPDATE: 7/1/2022 8:36 a.m.

According to Barr Camp Supervisor, Theresa Taylor, Barr Camp supervisors are still experiencing COVID symptoms and will remained closed Friday.

The Camp will reopen once the symptoms clear, per CDC guidelines.

We will update this article as that information gets released.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: 6/26/2022 5:04 p.m.

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Barr Camp, a pit stop for countless Pikes Peak hikers, will be closed for the rest of the month while its caretakers recover from COVID.

Barr Camp supervisor Teresa Taylor told 11 News she understands the move is an inconvenience for many but is the best course of action, as the caretakers come into contact with hundreds of people a week. She says the goal is to reopen to guests Friday night -- provided, of course, the caretakers test negative for the virus.

Both caretakers have minor symptoms and had done everything right prior to contracting COVID, including being boosted, she added.

“Barr Camp apologizes for any inconvenience and appreciates your understanding as we protect our caretakers and the public. Upon negative COVID tests on Friday morning, we will accept guests Friday night. Those with reservations will be contacted immediately and we will post here as well. Please do not inundate the caretakers with email questions unless absolutely necessary so they can recuperate. Thank you for your patience as we work through this situation,” Taylor wrote in a Facebook post on the Barr Camp group page.

Those on the impacted dates: Sunday, June 26; Wednesday, June 29; and Thursday, June 30, will be contacted by email. The camp is closed to overnighters on Mondays and Tuesday, which Taylor said she hopes will give the caretakers something of a buffer in their recovery.

Additionally, those who stayed at the camp during the potential exposure time have been contacted by email, Taylor said in a response to a question on Facebook about whether Barr Camp was going to notify those who visited just before the caretakers tested positive for COVID.

Hikers and runners needing to use one of the outhouses or water from the creek will still be permitted to do so, just not go inside the Barr Camp building. All are asked to let the caretakers be so they can continue to quarantine.

At 10,200 feet above sea level, Barr Camp sits near the halfway point between the trailhead and summit on the 12.6-mile Barr Trail. It has been a mainstay for hikers seeking shelter, a bathroom break, or just a few minutes off their feet for decades.