Many recreation areas along the Poudre Canyon that were closed due to the Black Hollow Flood have reopened after Forest Service employees were able to evaluate those areas for any damage or new safety hazards. This includes eight of the 11 campgrounds in the canyon, as well as many trailheads and picnic areas. Most of those closed as part of the Cameron Peak Fire Area Closure remain closed; however, the Blue Lake and Rawah trails are now open. Find the latest closure order map on the forest website.
It is important for visitors to the burn area to be aware of safety hazards within the burn scar, including but not limited to, falling trees, flood risks, stump holes and rock fall danger. Be sure to check local weather information and monitor for the risk of flooding in burned areas. Your safety is your responsibility.
Visitors are reminded to always check the latest status of areas they plan to recreate on the forest website. Many areas impacted by the Cameron Peak Fire remain completely closed or are closed to motorize travel. These closures are in place for the safety of visitors and those working in the area, as well as natural resource protection.
It may be helpful to know some popular areas that have been heavily impacted may not be able to reopen this year, especially given the interconnectivity of the roads and trails systems. On the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, this includes the Jacks Gulch Campground, the Swamp Creek area, many Forest Service Roads south of Deadman Road, Crown Point Road and others.
As fire suppression repair work and other recovery efforts are completed, more areas will begin to open. Many factors come into play when determining when an area can reopen. Beyond the immediate risk of hazard trees, considerations need to be made for trail markers, erosion control and trail stabilization issues, travel route interconnectivity, damaged infrastructure like bridges, fire suppression repair work and other recovery efforts. The Cameron Peak Fire burned more than 173,000 acres of National Forest System lands within its 208,913-acre scar. We appreciate all the employees, partners and volunteers working together to protect and repair these lands.
As visitors start to make plans for future recreational outings, they should expect to find a changed landscape, with the potential for both long- and short-term closures, as well as potential hazards. Visitors should always have a back-up plan in case an area has a temporary closure or is full. To help people plan their visit, we recommend everyone checks the Know Before You Go page for helpful tips, including closures due to the East Troublesome and Williams Fork fires.
Jeff
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