It is officially “Know Before You Go” season.
There has maybe never been a more pressing demand to closely study recreational plans before heading out in Colorado. As fires rage and drought withers all types of water recreation, the list of recreational closures across Colorado is growing daily, with many closures slated through July. A well-planned trip can ease the stress of closures and, hopefully, the workloads of local rescue teams.
First, there is not a corner of the state without restrictions on fire and those restrictions are expanding in both number and intensity as many communities and regions spanning hundreds of thousands of acres impose red flag warnings and Stage 2 prohibitions that pretty much ban any and all outdoor flames.
Second, most public lands around a wildfire are likely closed. This is not a comprehensive list so please check municipal, county, Forest Service, BLM and wildfire websites that are updated daily.
Here is a list of some of the closures around Colorado:
The Aspen Acres fire southwest of Pueblo has led to sweeping closures in the San Carlos District on the southern end of the San Isabel National Forest.
The Willow fire has closed the Leadville Ranger District’s Mountain Massive Wilderness west of Leadville and access to Turquoise Lake as that fire reaches 2,011 acres.
The Gold Mountain fire has led to closures of campgrounds at Big Cimarron, Beaver Lake and Silver Jack Reservoir in Ouray County. The closures of Forest Service land extends south and east of Ridgway as the fire reaches 15,000 acres
The Snyder fire, at 30,209 acres, has led to BLM closures and Forest Service closures in western Colorado, including the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. CPW has closed public access to boat ramps on the Colorado River from James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park in Fruita to the Utah state line, including Ruby-Horsethief Canyon and Loma Boat Launch State Wildlife Area, where Mesa County Search and Rescue conducted its largest-ever evacuation on Saturday.
The Ferris fire in Dolores County has closed many regions of BLM land as that fire reaches 23,287 acres.
The city of Steamboat Springs has closed the Yampa River to commercial outfitters and is asking recreational users — tubers, paddleboarders, kayakers and anglers — to stay out of the river to protect aquatic life as the river dips below 85 cubic feet per second. The 118-year average flow of the Yampa River through downtown Steamboat Springs in June is 1,085 cfs. The closure is the earliest since 2012.
Shooting ranges operated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in La Plata County, Eagle County, Summit County, Mesa County are closed due to Stage 2 fire restrictions, while Park County’s shooting range remains open despite a Stage 2 restriction.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has a growing list of drought-related closures, including:
- The west boat ramp at John Martin Reservoir State Park outside Hasty
- Campground spigots at Sylvan Lake State Park after a spring ran dry
- Early Settler Boat Ramp at Vega State Park
- All motorized boat traffic at Boyd Lake State Park
- A voluntary afternoon fishing closure on the Conejos River from below Platoro Reservoir.
- A voluntary fishing closure on the Yampa River below Stagecoach and from Chuck Lewis State Wildlife Area to the western edge of Steamboat Springs.