The Cameron Peak Fire will significantly impact prime aspen viewing and hunting opportunities west of Fort Collins this year.
Since the fire started Aug. 13, it has burned more than 23,000 acres. It is not expected to be out until snow blankets the area this fall.
The fire has completely closed 300,000 acres of the Roosevelt National Forest, including some of the area's best aspen viewing sites: the Laramie River Road (Larimer County 103) and the Pennock Pass Road (Larimer County Road 44H) as well as Colorado Highway 14 from Rustic to Gould.
"We don't have plans to shrink the closure area because of the forecast for continued dry weather, but we are constantly talking with fire experts and the Larimer County Sheriff's Office to see if we can make alterations,'' said Reghan Cloudman, Roosevelt National Forest spokesperson.
Where (and when) to go aspen viewing instead
Dan West, Colorado State Forest Service entomology program specialist, said he expects aspen in the northern mountains, which includes the Cameron Peak Fire area, to start turning in mid-September, with the peak coming in late September.
He said the fire will have minimal impact on aspen stands.
An aspen-viewing alternative in the area includes Wyoming Highway 130 west of Laramie that takes drivers into the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, which also offers aspen-viewing hikes. You also can use this highway to access North Park in Colorado where there are more aspen viewing opportunities.
Another option is the Peak to Peak Scenic Highway from Estes Park to Central City/Black Hawk.
The drive on U.S. Highway 34 in the Big Thompson Canyon from Loveland to Estes Park and into Rocky Mountain National Park is another option. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, visitors to the national park must now book timed entry reservations to access the park.
The reservations allow for a two-hour window for visitors to enter the park, which then allows them to remain in the park as long as they wish. You do not need a reservation if you enter the park before 6 a.m. or after 5 p.m.
Colorado gold: Where to find the best aspen viewing
Also, there are a small number of daily reservations released two days in advance of the reservation date. The tickets are released at 8 a.m. MT on a rolling daily window.
September is the park's third-busiest month, typically drawing more than 750,000 visitors who flock to the park to experience elk bugling and the aspen leaves changing, so the earlier you reserve an entry slot the better.
For reservation information, visit https://ift.tt/31ON1sa.
Aspen-viewing hikes open in the Red Feather Lakes area include the Mount Margaret and Lady Moon trails east of the village.
Hunting season impacts
The Cameron Peak Fire has also significantly impacted elk, deer, moose, black bear and bighorn sheep hunting areas. The fire is restricting access to public lands in Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Game Management Units, 6, 7, 8, 19 and S1.
Jason Surface, CPW's area wildlife manager for the Northeast Region based in Fort Collins, said the fire will have a dramatic impact on the early season archery and muzzle loader hunting seasons in September.
He said the fire will disperse wildlife and that most will move to the next best habitat available, but that it is difficult to predict exactly where the wildlife will go.
"It's not so much the fire, but there is little to no access to get to about 75% or more of most of those units,'' he said.
Depending on their license, hunters will have the option to hunt, receive a refund or move their license to next year. More information is available online at cpw.state.co.us/buyapply/Pages/License-Refunds-Reissue.aspx.
Surface hopes the fire will be out due to weather or fire suppression by October when the popular rifle deer and elk seasons open. Those seasons account for more than $900 million in economic impact statewide.
But it's more than just loss of revenue CPW is concerned about in the state's fire areas. The agency also relies on hunting seasons to kill a set number of animals to keep the herds healthy.
"The vast majority of our harvest comes from the rifle seasons,'' Surface said. "Right now we are hoping for a rifle season, but all we can do is wait and see what happens.''
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Reporter Miles Blumhardt looks for stories that impact your life. Be it news, outdoors, sports — you name it, he wants to report it. Have a story idea? Contact him at milesblumhardt@coloradoan.com or on Twitter @MilesBlumhardt. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
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Cameron Peak Fire will limit aspen viewing and hunting in Northern Colorado - Coloradoan
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