Fire restrictions · Colorado
San Juan National Forest fire restrictions
Stage 1 fire restrictions — since July 30
What this stage means
Stage 1 means campfires and charcoal only inside the permanent rings at developed campgrounds and picnic areas — a rock ring at a dispersed site doesn't count. A bottled-gas stove or lantern with a shut-off valve is still fine, and smoking is limited to a vehicle, a building, or a spot cleared to bare dirt.
Starting July 30th, 2026, fire restrictions are changing for the San Juan National Forest.
Stage 1, stage 2, and closures explained in plain words — including how a county burn ban is a different rule with a different boundary.
Read the order yourself
The forest's own alerts page has the current order, with the map of what it covers and the exceptions written out. The ranger district office nearest your trailhead can tell you the same thing over the phone.
Fire orders change with the weather — check the forest's alerts page or ranger district before you light anything.