Friday, October 23, 2026

Closures and dangerous conditions on roads, bridges, and trails damaged and destroyed by flooding

Heavy rain throughout Southwest Colorado in the past two days caused extremely dangerous conditions on the San Juan National Forest. These ongoing conditions include widespread flooding, road, trail, and infrastructure damage, and downed trees. As of Friday, October 23, field crews are assessing conditions across the Forest and locating campers and visitors trapped on storm-damaged roads that have become impassable. Additional rain is expected in coming days. Many roads are closed, and more are expected as conditions are assessed. All roadways are expected to be saturated and a potential threat for getting stuck or sliding off.

We encourage the public to avoid venturing out to the Forest when possible. Local emergency responders and search and rescue teams are being inundated with calls, and rescue or help may not be immediately possible for Forest visitors.

Currently, the Pagosa Ranger District is experiencing the most severe impacts, with Columbine also reporting significant damage. The process to fully assess infrastructure damage with engineers will extend into summer 2027 due to the extent of the flooding on millions of acres of Forest. Multiple major roads have suffered complete washouts and landslides, and some vehicle bridges were damaged.

Please visit the San Juan National Forest Conditions page for the most up-to-date information on road conditions. Please note, this list changes frequently as engineers and crews carefully assess conditions. Trails conditions will be assessed as staffing levels permit. Individual trails and campgrounds will be updated on the San Juan National Forest Recreation website.

Critical safety reminders:

* It is imperative that visitors do not try to ford water crossings on roads and trails, a practice that can easily prove deadly.

* If infrastructure such as bridges or culverts appear damaged and are not noted on the Conditions or Recreation webpages, please report it to the information line voicemail at (970) 501-5830 and do not attempt to cross.

* Do not try to drive around damaged areas, a practice that is illegal, destructive, and dangerous.

* Please respect closure signage to reduce the need for rescue and to reduce additional damage when resources are extremely limited.

Additional details, maps, and updates will be forthcoming as capacity allows. Please be patient, as this is a dynamic event during changing conditions. Life safety remains our number one priority both for the public and our employees.



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