Before you drive

Alerts and conditions

Colorado changes fast: passes close, ice forms, fires start, trails go permit-only. These are the official live sources, plus the specific trails with rules worth knowing before you leave the house.

The five to check

We do not copy these numbers onto our site, because a stale forecast is worse than none. Go straight to the source.

Roads and passesCOtrip: closures, chain laws, cameras, and travel alerts statewide, updated continuously by CDOT. AvalancheCAIC daily danger ratings and field observations by zone, roughly October through spring. Fire restrictionsCurrent bans by county from the Division of Fire Prevention and Control. Active wildfiresInciWeb incident map: where fires are burning and what is closed around them. Mountain weatherNational Weather Service point forecasts. Storms above treeline build faster than the valley forecast suggests.

Check these before every trip

Five minutes at the kitchen table saves a wasted drive or worse.

Is the road open?Mountain highways close for storms, avalanche work, rockfall, and construction. Check both directions of your route.
What is the avalanche danger?In season, for the specific zone you are entering, not the state average.
Are there fire bans?By county, and remember bans can differ between national forest and county land on the same drive.
What is the weather doing above treeline?Point forecast for the trailhead elevation, plus the afternoon storm timing.
Do I need a permit or reservation?Timed entry, wilderness permits, and parking reservations sell out well ahead in summer.
Is the trailhead road actually passable?Many high roads stay snowbound into June or July and need clearance or 4WD when they open.

Seasonal hazards, honestly

What actually goes wrong, and when.

Spring

Runoff turns creek crossings dangerous and mud season closes trails to protect them. High passes and 4WD roads stay snowbound long after town is dry. Wet-slide avalanches run on warm afternoons.

Summer

Thunderstorms build above treeline most afternoons, so summit early. Fire restrictions arrive with the dry spell. Flash flooding hits burn scars and slot canyons hard, even from a storm miles away.

Fall

Aspen traffic jams the scenic corridors, and the first real storms can arrive without much warning. Hunting seasons open on public land; wear orange and know the dates.

Winter

Avalanche danger governs all backcountry travel. Passes close for mitigation work, traction laws are enforced, and daylight is short. Cold at 10,000 feet is a different animal than cold in town.

Trail status board

Access rules for Colorado's most regulated trails change season to season. Verified July 2026; always confirm with the official source before you drive.

Blue Lakes Trail, Mount Sneffels Wilderness

OpenPermits begin 2027

Trailhead rebuilt and reopened. Rules since May 31, 2026: pack out human waste, bear-resistant food storage required, overnight groups capped at six, camping at the lower lake only. A limited-entry permit season from June through September starts in 2027 through Recreation.gov.

Official GMUG status

Hanging Lake, Glenwood Canyon

OpenReservation required

The rebuilt trail is open, and timed-entry permits are required for every visitor. Summer slots sell out fast. No dogs on this trail, no exceptions, and no swimming in the lake.

Reserve a permit

Boulder Falls, Boulder Canyon

Closed

Closed since a late-2024 rockfall destroyed the trail infrastructure. Do not park along the canyon road to scramble in.

Boulder closures
The honest footer: we keep this board current as best we can, but land managers change rules without notice. The official links above always outrank this page. Updated August 2026.