A scenic, remote swath of Pikes Peak is about to open for the season. 

Starting this weekend, permit holders can pass through the gate of South Slope Recreation Area ー the highly protected, high-altitude chain of reservoirs reached off rugged roads from Teller County. 

Those permits can be booked for $15 per vehicle at coloradosprings.gov/southslope, where directions are posted along with other information to know ahead of visiting Thursday-Sunday. 

Since a partnership between city enterprise Pikes Peak-America’s Mountain and Colorado Springs Utilities opened the drinking water sources to recreation in 2014, most visitors have been anglers. They have been bound for McReynolds Reservoir ー where non-motorized boating and wading are allowed ー and for Mason Reservoir up the trail. 

Anglers can continue to catch and release trout in McReynolds Reservoir close to the parking lot, but Mason Reservoir will be closed. That’s while Utilities continues installing new valves and other maintenance, according to a spokesperson. (The permit price was reduced to account for the closure.)

Meanwhile, following a two-year closure for dam rehabilitation, full access has returned to North and South Catamount reservoirs. Those are two cherished fisheries of North Slope Recreation Area, which opened at the start of this month with noticeably lower water levels following a historically dry winter. 

North Slope is more easily reached off the Pikes Peak Highway, while South Slope has been reserved for the more adventurous who drive about an hour and half from Colorado Springs. If not for fishing, one might go for a hike or bike ride around McReynolds Reservoir. Or an ambitious one might embark up Mason Trail, which travels past Mason Reservoir all the way to Boehmer Reservoir near 11,300 feet. 

Open to the top after July 15, following bighorn sheep lambing, that trip covers 9.4 miles out and back, according to South Slope’s webpage, which advises bringing plenty of water and layers to account for quickly changing weather. Also: “Plan ahead and be aware of the time.” 

Thursday-Sunday, permit holders can pass through the gate between 7:30 a.m.-8 a.m., at which point the ranger takes an hourlong patrol. Entry ends at 9:30 a.m., and drivers must leave before the gate closes at 3 p.m. 

South Slope Recreation Area typically closes for the season sometime in September.