Current Fire Information & Regulations

 

A camper is using a camp stove to heat water at a campground picnic table.

NPS

Fire Restrictions:

Rocky Mountain National Park always has Stage 1 fire restrictions in place where campfires are prohibited throughout RMNP, except within designated campfire rings in picnic areas and frontcountry campgrounds.

The use of portable charcoal grills, wood fuel camp stoves and propane/butane-fueled gas stoves is allowed.

Fireworks are always prohibited within Rocky Mountain National Park. Visitors are urged to use caution and vigilance regarding the use of fire in authorized locations.

These Rules are Always in Effect:

• Fires, including grills and charcoal briquettes, are only allowed in designated areas and sites where a metal fire ring or grate is provided. These areas include developed campgrounds, some picnic areas, and some designated wilderness campsites. Campfires and grills are not allowed anywhere else in the park.
• Petroleum-fueled stoves are allowed in developed campgrounds and picnic areas. A permit is required to use a petroleum-fueled stove in designated wilderness sites.
• The park may enforce stricter fire regulations, including fire bans.

Fire Safety Tips:

• To report a fire in the park, call 911.

• Never leave a fire unattended. Before leaving or going to sleep, completely extinguish your fire by dousing it with water and stirring the ashes until there is no more heat, smoke, or embers.

• Be careful with equipment such as stoves, lanterns, heaters, and grills. Avoid spilling flammable substances, store fuel away from appliances, and allow equipment to cool.

• Discard cigarettes and matches properly. Completely extinguish and dispose of smoking materials in a cigarette receptacle or carry them out of the park with you.

 

 

NPS Map

Area Closures

Approximately 30,000 acres, or 10 percent of Rocky Mountain National Park, were impacted by the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires of 2020.

West Side of Rocky Mountain National Park

• There is a partial closure on the Sun Valley Trail.

Northwest Area of Rocky Mountain National Park

• Upper Mummy Pass Trail is closed to all users.

Safety Tips when Recreating in Burn Areas

Park visitors should be aware of additional hazards when recreating in burn areas including:

• Burned-out stump holes where the ground may be weak and unstable
• Unstable dead trees, especially in windy conditions
• Loose rocks, logs and rolling debris
• Flash flooding and significant debris flow possible in burn areas
• Dry, hot conditions with little forest canopy to provide shade

Park staff will continue to assess closed areas on both sides of the park for fire impacts, safety and downed trees, erosion and rock fall.

It is unknown when all park trails impacted by the fires of 2020 will reopen.

Overview of the East Troublesome Fire

On October 21, 2020, the East Troublesome Fire ran approximately 18 miles before it moved into the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, and then spotted approximately 1.5 miles from the head of Tonahutu Creek on the west side of the Continental Divide to the head of Spruce Creek on the east side of the Continental Divide. Rapid evacuations took place in Grand Lake on October 21. Evacuations for the majority of the Estes Valley were implemented on October 22, as weather predictions forecast major winds on the night of October 23 through October 24 pushing the fire further to the east.

The East Troublesome Fire was the largest fire in Rocky Mountain National Park’s 107-year history. It burned over 21,000 acres within the park.

Firefighting actions and favorable weather on October 24 and 25, helped halt the major movement of the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires.

• For information on the East Troublesome Fire visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7242/
• For information on the Cameron Peak Fire visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6964/

 

Check out the National Weather Service’s Rocky Mountain National Park weather decision support page to learn more about current weather conditions, including fire weather.