Closures remain in Cameron Peak Fire area

Many roads in the area of the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire remain closed to allow for natural recovery and while watershed restoration projects take place. Post-fire flooding and recovery efforts are continuing, U.S. Forest Service officials said in a news release.

Heavy snows and recent rains also are making it difficult for them to evaluate conditions and could delay road openings outside of the fire area.

The Roaring Creek Trail remains closed to all uses. Numerous crews, including Larimer County Youth Conservation Corps, Rocky Mountain Conservancy Conservation Corps and volunteers from the Overland Mountain Bike Association, are continuing work on the Roaring Creek Trail, with hopes of it opening later this year, the release stated.

Work also will be taking place throughout the summer season to evaluate areas as they dry out and to do contract work to improve conditions in areas that include Crystal Mountain Road and the Storm Mountain Road system.

”Many factors come into play when determining when an area can reopen and to what uses,” the release said. Those include the immediate risk of hazard trees, road and trail stabilization issues, travel route interconnectivity, damaged infrastructure and other recovery efforts.

The Cameron Peak Fire burned 208,913 acres, more than 173,000 acres of that within National Forest boundaries.

Foresters said visitors in the burn area need to be aware of safety hazards that include falling trees, flood risks, stump holes and rock fall danger. They also should check local weather information for precipitation that could cause flash flood risks.

The USFS road status page at bit.ly/3qdckyq offers the latest information on roads.

Cameron Peak Fire closures are listed at bit.ly/2fyqcxv.

Other tips for forest visitors can be found at bit.ly/2uenyml.