San Juan National Forest safety alert: Dangerous conditions persist on roads, bridges and trails damaged and destroyed by flooding

Visitors to the USDA San Juan National Forest are encouraged to exercise caution following historic flood events in early October, which left roads, trails and major infrastructure damaged and destroyed. Access is closed or limited to some roads and bridges.

The Columbine and Pagosa ranger districts are assessing the extent of the damage — a process which will extend into summer 2026 due to the extent of the flooding on millions of acres of forest. Multiple major roads suffered complete washouts, and some vehicle bridges were damaged. Major trail bridges are also completely washed away.

Please visit the San Juan National Forest Conditions page for the most up-to-date information on road conditions. Please note, this list changes frequently as engineers and crews carefully assess conditions. Trails conditions will be assessed as staffing levels permit. Individual trails and campgrounds will be updated on the San Juan National Forest Recreation website.

Critical safety reminders:

• It is imperative that visitors do not try to ford water crossings on roads and trails, a practice that can easily prove deadly.
• If infrastructure such as bridges or culverts appear damaged and are not noted on the Conditions or Recreation webpages, please report it to the information line voicemail at (970) 501-5830 and do not attempt to cross.
• Do not try to drive around damaged areas — a practice that is illegal, destructive and dangerous.
• Please respect closure signage to reduce the need for rescue and to reduce additional damage when resources are extremely limited.

For information on the San Juan National Forest, call (970) 247-4874 or visit the forest website.