Colorado just logged its hottest start to a year on record, exceptional drought now covers the high country, and a wave of wildfires has forced statewide Stage 2 fire bans and river closures. The peaks are still open. Here is exactly what to check before you go, and how to make sure you are not the spark that closes one.
On July 20, Denver hit 100 degrees for the first time in 2026. That is the least alarming number in this story. Up where we actually hike, three of Colorado’s classic fourteener counties, Eagle, Pitkin, and Lake, are now rated 100 percent “exceptional” drought, the single worst category the U.S. Drought Monitor tracks. A year ago, no part of Colorado was in that category at all.
Fires are burning on both slopes. Fishing is closing river by river. Most of the state is under Stage 2 fire restrictions. The mountains are still open, and you can still have a great summer up there. You just cannot treat this July like a normal one. The most useful skill right now is not fitness or fancy gear. It is knowing what to check before you leave the trailhead.
The summer the high country hit its limit
Colorado just came through one of the hottest starts to any year in its records, and the heat has not let up. The drought underneath it is worse. As of the July 7 U.S. Drought Monitor, about 10 percent of the state sits in exceptional drought, and it is concentrated exactly where we recreate: Eagle, Pitkin, and Lake counties are each 100 percent exceptional, with Summit County close behind near 88 percent. This was not a surprise. Federal forecasters warned in the spring of a “very long and very busy” fire season. It arrived on schedule.
The fires, and the closures they bring
Right now Colorado is fighting large fires on both sides of the divide. The Aspen Acres Fire in the southern Sangre de Cristo foothills has burned more than 100,000 acres, the largest active fire in the state. The Ferris Fire in the San Juan National Forest has forced the Forest Service to close roads and trails across a wide stretch of the southwest. The Gold Mountain Fire near Ouray triggered a disaster declaration, and a firefighting helicopter pilot was killed there on July 12. We covered the human cost of this fire season already, and it is real.
Here is the part worth sitting with. The Willow Fire, burning right next to Mount Massive, Colorado’s second highest peak, and forcing trail and campground evacuations outside Leadville, was human-caused. One careless moment closed access near a fourteener for weeks. If you are wondering whether a peak you had your eye on is affected, start with our running list of Colorado fourteeners closed right now.
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What Stage 2 fire restrictions actually mean
Most of Colorado, including national forests like the GMUG and the Arapaho and Roosevelt, plus many Front Range counties, is now under Stage 2 fire restrictions. Stage 2 is strict, and the details matter.
Under Stage 2, all campfires are banned everywhere, including in the permanent metal grates at developed campgrounds. Charcoal grills are out. Fireworks are prohibited (they are illegal on public land anyway), and smoking is limited to an enclosed vehicle or building. Most Stage 2 orders do still allow a liquid fuel or bottled gas stove with an on/off valve, because you can shut it off in a second. But that is exactly the kind of rule that changes from one county or forest to the next, so read the specific order for where you are going. When in doubt, cook cold and skip the flame entirely.
Why the rivers are closing
The drought is showing up in the water, too. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has asked anglers to voluntarily stop fishing on a growing list of rivers. As of July 19 that included four Western Slope rivers, the Colorado, the Eagle, the Crystal, and the Roaring Fork, plus stretches of the Rio Grande and its South Fork on the other side of the mountains. Some are closed all day, others from noon to midnight.
The trigger is simple and worth understanding. When the daily water temperature tops 71 degrees, or flows drop below half of average, trout are stressed and often cannot recover after being caught and released. The Crystal River is running at less than 10 percent of its average flow. If you fish, honor the closures, go at dawn when the water is coolest, and carry a small stream thermometer so you can make the call yourself.
Heat, smoke, and altitude add up faster than you think
None of these conditions arrive alone. Wildfire smoke has pushed Front Range air into the unhealthy range on multiple days this month, and the state has issued repeated Ozone Action Day alerts. Now add exertion and thin air. Climbing hard at altitude on a hot, smoky, ozone heavy afternoon is a genuine load on your heart and lungs, especially if you are new to elevation. Start early, drink more water than you think you need, and watch for the afternoon thunderstorms that still build even in a drought. Risk management isn’t fear. It’s smart.
Check before you go: your 2026 conditions checklist
Before every trip this summer, spend five minutes on these:
- Fires and closures. Check InciWeb and your destination’s national forest “alerts and notices” page for active fires and closed areas.
- Trails and roads. Confirm your specific trail is open on the Colorado Trail Explorer (COTREX) map. Our guide to the best free apps for Colorado hikers walks through the ones worth having.
- Fire stage. Look up the current fire restriction stage for the exact county and forest you are visiting, and know what it bans.
- Water, if you fish. Check CPW’s current voluntary and mandatory fishing closures.
- Air and weather. Check the CDPHE air quality map and the National Weather Service forecast for heat and afternoon storms.
Then do your part so you are not the next headline. No open flame under Stage 2. Park on bare dirt, never on dry grass where a hot exhaust can start a fire. Pack out everything. And if you see something starting, report it fast.
The peaks we love are having a hard summer, and the crews out there are stretched thin. The best thing you can do for them, and for yourself, is to check the conditions, skip the flame, and still go, with your eyes open.
If our free guides help you plan a safer trip, our members are the reason they stay free for everyone. That is the only pitch you will get from me today.
Reporting from the Colorado Sun, Denver7, KRDO, and the Denver Gazette. Drought data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Fire restriction and river closure details from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Forest Service. Featured photo by Alex Derr, The Next Summit. For current conditions, check InciWeb, your national forest’s alerts page, and CPW’s fishing closures before you head up.
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