U.S. Forest Service - PSICC National Forest

09/28/2026

Now Recruiting: Greater Rocky Mountain Resource Advisory Committee The Forest Service is seeking engaged community members from Colorado and Wyoming to help guide natural resource projects through the Secure Rural Schools program.

If you care about forest health, trails, wildlife, or collaborative stewardship, consider applying. Nominations open Sept. 21 – Dec. 20 (90 days) Learn more about how to apply: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/working-with-us/committees/greater-rocky-mountain-resource-advisory-committee

09/25/2026

As summer winds down and we look toward a new season. National Public Lands Day is the perfect opportunity to recharge, reconnect, and give back.

On Saturday, September 26, 2026, join thousands of volunteers across the country in caring for the national forests we all enjoy. From rebuilding small bridges to restoring wildlife habitat, every project strengthens your connection to the land. You don’t need special gear, just the desire to make a difference.

Reach out to your local national forest or grassland or use this interactive map https://www.neefusa.org/npld-event-search to find an event near you.

09/23/2026

The Forests and Grasslands we love now have a passport – and it’s live! The National Forests and Grasslands Passport covers all 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. Every visit earns a unique collectible badge. Every badge is saved to your personal profile permanently. It’s a record of the places that matter most – and a reason to keep going back.

Check out the unique badges for the Pike-San Isabel National Forest, the Cimarron National Grasslands and the Comanche National Grasslands in the pictures attached.

Join today and start collecting.
🔗: https://outerspatial.link/oGk3e6UKi4b

09/21/2026

This , take steps to protect your home and community from wildfire.

One of the most effective ways to reduce wildfire risk is to create defensible space between your home and surrounding vegetation. Clearing leaves and debris, trimming branches, and spacing out plants can slow a wildfire’s spread and give firefighters room to work safely.

Learn more at https://www.ready.gov/wildfires.

09/18/2026

Aspen Acres Fire update, 09/18/2026

Size: 102,004 acres
Location: 10 miles northwest of Rye, CO
Cause: Human-Caused
Containment: 82%

Fire behavior: Fire behavior on the Aspen Acres Fire remains minimal overall, with scattered pockets of heat producing visible smoke. Humidity and rain showers have kept fire activity moderate.

Tactics: Suppression repair continues across the Aspen Acres Fire area as crews reshape disturbed ground, build drainage features, and clear leftover operational debris. Recently, firefighters successfully replaced a culvert on Forest Service Road 360 as part of suppression repair. This work reduces erosion, protects waterways, and helps the burned landscape recover safely.

Smoke: Smoke is still visible southwest of Lake Isabel. For more information on how smoke may impact your health, please visit https://cdphe.colorado.gov/apcd/wildfire-smoke-and-health.

Closures: The Aspen Acres Fire Closure Order remains in effect. To read the full order please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/alerts/aspen-acres-fire-area-closure-sept-1-2026-dec-31-2026.

09/18/2026

The Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands is planning prescribed fire operations this fall, pending all required approvals. Projects could begin as early as late September. This work may continue through 2026, as weather conditions allow.

For a list of planned prescribed fires and to learn more about prescribed fire and smoke and your health, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/newsroom/releases/psicc-prepares-fall-prescribed-fire-treatments

09/17/2026

Fire restrictions on all National Forest System lands within the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands will be rescinded, effective 12:01 a.m. Thursday, September 17.

Recent rains over the forest have lessened the risk of wildland fire, allowing restrictions to be lifted. Despite recent moisture, many areas across the PSICC remain in drought of varying levels of intensity. Hunters, campers and all other forest and grassland visitors should exercise caution to reduce wildfire risk as late-season fires have become more common in the Rocky Mountain region. Even if your fire is a relatively small warming fire, the fire should be dead out before you leave the site.

Fore up to date information on alerts and restrictions, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/alerts.

09/16/2026

If you are heading out to view some of the leaves changing this weekend, please do so responsibly! Below are some important reminders on how to safely go leaf-peeping this year.

Press Release: Partner Agencies Encourage Visitors to "PEEP Responsibly"

Beginning this weekend, Clear Creek County and Park County are anticipating increased traffic on Guanella Pass Road as peak leaf-peeping season approaches. Both counties, along with the Town of Georgetown and other partners agencies, are collaborating again this fall to help ensure emergency vehicles are able to access the pass at all times, and to ease traffic congestion and overcrowding for a more pleasant experience for visitors.

In recent years, emergency vehicles in both Clear Creek and Park County experienced delays in accessing emergency scenes on Guanella Pass. These delays were due to heavy traffic congestion, illegally parked vehicles, and general overcrowding of the pass. Therefore, both counties are taking the following proactive measures to ensure emergency vehicles are able to respond to emergencies on the pass without delay:

• Additional signage:
- Temporary “No Parking” signs have been installed within one mile of the summit, along both sides of the roadway.
- Electronic signs/VMS boards (variable message signs) will be stationed at the entrance to Guanella Pass. These signs remind visitors that vehicles will be towed if they are parked in the roadway impeding traffic.

• Extra patrol/enforcement: Extra patrols will be visible from the entrance to Guanella Pass Rd and Grant Rd all the way along the roadway to the summit. Law enforcement will enforce parking violations by ticketing vehicles parked in no parking zones or parked partially on the roadway.

• Towing: Vehicles parked on the roadway impeding two-way traffic will be towed at the owner’s expense. Vehicles will be towed to the Geneva Basin Road lot at mile marker 10.5 in Park County. These vehicles may also be ticketed.

• Temporary road closures: Roads may be temporarily closed to additional vehicles, if the volume of traffic on Guanella Pass Rd or in Georgetown causes gridlock and/or threatens to impede access for emergency vehicles. The duration of any closure would be brief, to grant enough vehicle egress before allowing additional traffic to the pass.

For their part, visitors to Guanella Pass this leaf-peeping season are asked to PEEP Responsibly by:

• Parking in designated parking areas only. This includes parking lots, places with green “Parking” signs, or in pull-offs that are not marked “No Parking.” If parking in a pull-off, the vehicle must be completely off the roadway. No part of the vehicle can be on or in the roadway when parked.
• Expect heavy traffic. Know Before You Go by checking cotrip.org for traffic delays on I-70 or Hwy 285. Traffic and mapping apps may also show traffic delays along routes to Guanella Pass.
• Exercise patience. Heavy traffic and delays can cause frustration, impatience, and aggression. Take a break by shopping in Clear Creek or Park County communities, dining at a local restaurant, or visiting a nearby park.
• Plan ahead. Consider visiting on a weekday (Monday – Thursday). During leaf-peeping season, weekends experience significantly more visitors to Guanella Pass than weekdays. In the event of heavy traffic, bring plenty of water, food, and other necessary supplies.

Clear Creek and Park County, along with our partners at the Clear Creek County Tourism Bureau, Colorado Department of Transportation, Town of Georgetown, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, have been working together for a safe leaf-peeping season. We value our residents and visitors and want to ensure a safe leaf-peeping season for everyone by mitigating traffic congestion, illegal parking, and overcrowding of Guanella Pass.

09/16/2026

Willow Fire update, 09/16/2026

Size: 7,389
Location: 6 miles west of Leadville, CO
Cause: Human-Caused
Containment: 80%

Fire behavior: Fire behavior on the Willow Fire remains minimal overall. Humidity and rain showers have kept fire activity moderate. In the past few days, the Willow Fire has received over an inch of rain.

Please note that updated aerial mapping conducted by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control’s Multi Mission Aircraft (MMA) has been completed. The new infrared and high resolution imagery collected by the MMA resulted in a more accurate fire perimeter, reducing the previously reported acreage by 145 acres.

Tactics: Firefighters continue to maintain the containment lines. There are uncontrolled sections in the Mount Massive Wilderness area due to hazardous conditions and rough terrain. This area has a low spread potential.

Smoke: Smoke is still visible west of Leadville and in the Mount Massive Wilderness. For more information on how smoke may impact your health, please visit
https://cdphe.colorado.gov/apcd/wildfire-smoke-and-health.

Closures: The Willow Fire Closure Order is in effect through September 30, 2026, unless rescinded sooner.

For more information and maps on the Willow Fire Closure Order, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/alerts/updated-willow-fire-area-closure

Lake County Office of Emergency Management

09/15/2026

Law enforcement has been made aware of an individual falsely posing as a Forest Service employee in the vicinity of the Pikes Peak Ranger District. This person has reportedly been going door-to-door soliciting donations for those affected by the Aspen Acres Fire. This activity is not authorized and is considered a scam.

If anyone contacts you claiming to represent the Forest Service and asks for donations, please do not provide any funds or personal information. Report all suspicious contacts or requests immediately to your local law enforcement agency.