Spring Road Closures Begin on Forest

DEL NORTE, Colo., March 11, 2025 – The Rio Grande National Forest announced today that the annual spring road closures are scheduled to begin on Saturday, March 15, 2025. The annual closures of most forest roads are needed to protect the roadbeds from damage by heavy vehicles and to prevent users from getting stuck. The closures typically last from three to six weeks.

The closed roads are scheduled to be closed until May 16, but some roads may be opened as soon as it is determined that the roadbeds will not be damaged by heavy vehicles. It is important to note that, some roads may appear to be dry in lower elevations near the closure, but they will remain closed until the higher sections of the roads are also appropriately dry enough for vehicle use.

“These short-term closures help protect your national forest resources and also serve to prevent users from having a bad experience,” said Dennis Kuhnel, forest supervisor for the Rio Grande National Forest. “They typically don’t last long and, by respecting them, we can together provide a damage free roadbed to use the rest of the year.” Kuhnel recognized that the restricted access to your favorite locations can be frustrating but encourages the public to help prevent the potential for widespread negative effects.

Current road conditions can be found on the Rio Grande National Forest’s home page by navigating to the individual ranger district’s “road conditions” link on the right side of the page.

All travel on the Rio Grande National Forest is regulated by the Motor Vehicle Use Maps that can be found online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/riogrande/maps-pubs.

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