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Manitou Incline hiker dies after medical emergency, sheriff’s office says

Trail was closed for two hours on Saturday morning for emergency response

Signs warn hikers of the height and difficulty of the Manitou Springs Incline in Manitou Springs, Colorado on April 23, 2024. The Manitou Incline is considered an extreme trail that starts at 6,600’ and ends up at the summit at 8,550’ over the course of about 2768 steps.  The Manitou Springs Incline, also known as the Manitou Incline or simply the Incline, is a popular hiking trail rising above the picturesque town. The trail is the remains of a former 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge funicular railway whose tracks washed out during a rock slide in 1990. The Incline is famous for its sweeping views and steep grade, with an average grade of 45% (24°) and as steep as 68% (34°) in places, making it a fitness challenge for locals of the Colorado Springs area.  The number of steps changes occasionally with trail maintenance and deterioration. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Signs warn hikers of the height and difficulty of the Manitou Springs Incline in Manitou Springs, Colorado on April 23, 2024. The Manitou Incline is considered an extreme trail that starts at 6,600’ and ends up at the summit at 8,550’ over the course of about 2768 steps. The Manitou Springs Incline, also known as the Manitou Incline or simply the Incline, is a popular hiking trail rising above the picturesque town. The trail is the remains of a former 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge funicular railway whose tracks washed out during a rock slide in 1990. The Incline is famous for its sweeping views and steep grade, with an average grade of 45% (24°) and as steep as 68% (34°) in places, making it a fitness challenge for locals of the Colorado Springs area. The number of steps changes occasionally with trail maintenance and deterioration. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 10: Denver Post reporter Katie Langford. (Photo By Patrick Traylor/The Denver Post)
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A on Saturday morning after experiencing breathing problems, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said.

Sheriff’s officials just before 10 a.m. so first responders could get to a person having a medical emergency, the agency posted on social media. The sheriff’s office asked people on the trail to avoid the 1,000-step rest area.

The person later “succumbed to their illness” and died, sheriff’s officials said.

“Thank you to all of the citizens who called into our 911 dispatch, assisted the individual until help arrived and to the first responders who responded to the scene — including our Search and Rescue team,” the said on X.

Sheriff’s officials reopened the trail about noon.

The Incline is known as one of Colorado’s most challenging hikes, with hikers gaining 2,000 feet in less than a mile as they ascend 2,768 steep, uneven steps. to hike the trail.

An Oregon man also died on the incline in April 2025 after going into medical distress.

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