The Colorado River Trail in RMNP is temporarily closed due to flooding

Rocky Mountain National Park just posted this on their Twitter account:

The Colorado River Trail in #RMNP is temporarily closed due to flooding about 1/4 mile north of the Red Mountain/Colorado River Trail junction. The Colorado River Trail goes to Lulu City and other destinations in the Grand Ditch/Never Summer Mountains.

Relatedly, they also recently posted this on Facebook:

Mountain streams, rivers and waterfalls are moving swift and dangerous now during spring runoff and due to significant rains. Even a few inches of swift-moving water can knock an adult off their feet.

Remember the following safety tips:

💧 Hike on designated trails and enjoy the water from a distance. Don't hike off trail and wander down to the water's edge.

💧 Rocks near water can be deceptively slippery; they are often covered in dust and when they get wet it is hard to gain traction. Stay at least one body length back from the edge of riverbanks and waterfalls.

💧 Always keep an eye on children and make sure they stay away from the water's edge.

💧 All bodies of moving water have a strong current. The current of even shallow water can knock a person off their feet. All people, including strong swimmers, can find themselves in an unexpected dangerous swift water situation.

💧 If water is flowing across a trail, stop and don't try to cross. Turn back and complete your hike another day.

💧 If you see someone slip and fall into moving water, take the following steps: stay calm and try to keep the person in sight, do not enter the water and attempt to rescue them (this would worsen the situation as you could then be in a life-threatening situation as well), look around and see if a branch, rope, throw bag, etc., can be used to help rescue the person(s) in distress, call 911 and report the location and that someone has fallen into swift-moving water.

For more safety information, visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/swift-water-safety.htm.

Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

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