Every conversation between backcountry search and rescue volunteers these days seems to start with the crazy weather Colorado is having — the winter that wasn’t, the drought conditions, and the high temperature records being broken on a weekly basis.  And lurking beneath it all, the fear that we will see our worst wildfire season on record in 2026.

If you’re planning a hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, camping or any other outdoor recreation trip this spring or summer, what do you need to know about wildfire danger?

Start with a solid trip plan

Trip planning means doing your homework on the route you plan to take and leaving details with a responsible person back home who can report you overdue if you don’t return by your planned time. As part of your homework, check the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control’s Wildland Fire Status Dashboard or the Bureau of Land Management’s Fire Information Dashboard and make sure you have complete situational awareness of any active wildfires that might be in the region of your planned outing. If you live and recreate in Summit County, check for White River National Forest restrictions or closures at Fs.USDA.gov, and sign up for Summit County Alerts at SummitCountyCo.gov. If you’re traveling out of the area, you may want to consider signing up for other area’s alerts; find out how at DHSEM.Colorado.gov.  Be aware, however, that if you are out of cell service or carrying your phone in airplane mode to conserve the battery, you will not receive alerts. Your research and trip planning process should include finding out whether you’ll have cell service or not. If you won’t, it’s always a good idea to consider carrying a two-way satellite communications device such as a Garmin inReach or a Zoleo Satellite Communicator.  

Learn more about trip planning at ColoradoSAR.org.  

Be prepared for sudden changes

No matter how thorough your trip plan, conditions can change at a moment’s notice.  Prepare for possible hot, dry, windy conditions on your trip.  Keep your eyes open and your head on a swivel for signs of changing weather conditions or a nearby wildfire.  If you see incoming weather or smoke, it doesn’t matter what your pre-trip research says; prepare and respond to what you see happening in the moment.  Learn how to make the perfect 911 call from the backcountry at ColoradoSAR.org, and note that you can sometimes text 911 when you don’t have enough cell service to make a call.  If you have to change the route you’ve detailed in your trip plan, be sure to notify your trip plan person back home.

Don’t be part of the problem

As you plan your route, check the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control website for fire restrictions and keep checking it right up to your departure date.  “We expect fire restrictions to start early this year,” says Tracy LeClair, public information officer for Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. The front desks of local Forest Service ranger district offices are also good sources of information on current fire restrictions as well as local fire activity.  

Regardless of fire restrictions in the area, consider whether you really need a campfire this year, or even a camp stove. A jetboil can be a perfectly good substitute. If campfires are not prohibited and you decide to have one, be sure your fire is completely out before you leave the campsite. Learn ways to minimize the impact of your campfire at LNT.org.  

Every year, on average, human-caused wildfires account for approximately 85% of wildfires in the United States. Though most of these fires are caused by accidents, many of them can be prevented. Educate yourself on how you can prevent wildfires and mitigate the impacts of wildfires on your community.

As a backcountry recreationist, you may also get the opportunity to be a help to the firefighters. Lorena Williams, public affairs officer for the San Juan National Forest, said, “The majority of fires on the San Juan Forest and many other high-country places are started by lightning, and the Durango Interagency Fire Dispatch receives a large percentage of initial reports of fires from hikers. Should you encounter a wildfire, please call 911 to report the location, estimated size, description of the smoke, whether it’s spreading, and whether it’s moving in the direction of people, homes or powerlines.”

To learn more

In 2020, hikers were trapped by a wildfire on the popular Ice Lakes Trail. Read more at ColoradoSAR.org to learn what they did right during the evacuation process, and how to increase your chances of survival if the worst should happen.  

Anna DeBattiste is the program manager for public information and education fundraising at the Colorado Search and Rescue Association.