Mountain pine beetle prevention work to begin on Pike National Forest

(Pueblo, CO, April 10, 2026) — Contractors will be spraying 17 Forest Service recreation sites on the Pike National Forest in an effort to minimize impacts from mountain pine beetles. Treatment is expected to begin as soon as April 13, weather dependent, and last until April 23.

Many of the sites are campgrounds, which are currently closed for the season, so impacts to visitors should be minimal. Forest Service staff will be on site during spraying operations for safety and contract inspection. Trees were selected for protection based on tree health, aesthetic value and ability to provide shade and animal habitat in these popular recreation areas.

Spraying is done by trained certified contractors with high pressure hoses that specifically coat tree trunks with carbaryl to provide protection for up to two years. The forest has seen success with this pesticide treatment for some high value trees in recreation areas during previous mountain pine beetle outbreaks.

Below is a list of recreation sites that will be treated:

Pikes Peak Ranger District

• Colorado Campground
• Painted Rocks Campground
• Red Rocks Campground
• South Meadows Campground
• Springdale Campground
• Manitou Lake Day Use Area

South Park Ranger District

• Round Mountain Campground
• Pulver Mountain Group Campground

South Platte Ranger District

• Buffalo Campground
• Kelsey Campground
• Meadows Group Campground
• Buffalo Trailhead
• Shinglemill Trailhead
• Little Scraggy Trailhead
• Rampart Range Road dispersed campsites
• Rampart Range Road trailheads and Enduro Skills Training Area

Other

• Manitou Experimental Forest

Visitors are reminded to be cautious, especially around dead trees and during high winds in mountain pine beetle impacted areas. During the treatment, the public will be asked to avoid each area for 24 hours after spraying. Signs will be posted with the time and date that an area was sprayed. To stay up to date on activity across the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands, visit the website or follow on Facebook and X.

About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.