Our Camping & Campground Guides
Real, local guides to camping the Red Feather Lakes & Poudre high country:
🔥 Fire Restrictions Right Now
Wood campfires are banned across the whole corridor — including in developed campgrounds with permanent metal fire rings. Propane and liquid-gas devices with an on/off valve are still allowed in all three jurisdictions.
Roosevelt National Forest — Canyon Lakes Ranger District
National forest (most of the Poudre Canyon & Red Feather area)
In effect July 2, 2026 through December 31, 2026, unless rescinded.
Not allowed
- Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, charcoal barbecue, or grill — except a device solely fueled by liquid or gas that can be turned on and off, in an area cleared of all flammable material within three feet.
- Smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle or building.
- Welding, or operating an acetylene or other torch with open flame.
- Using an explosive.
- Possessing or using a motor vehicle off Forest Service roads, except when parking in an area devoid of vegetation within 10 feet of the vehicle.
Still allowed
- Stoves, grills, lanterns and fire pits fueled solely by liquid fuel or bottled gas, with an on/off control — set in an area cleared of flammable material for three feet around the device.
- Smoking inside an enclosed vehicle or building.
Penalty: Class B misdemeanor — up to $5,000 for an individual ($10,000 for an organization), up to six months imprisonment, or both.
Larimer County (unincorporated land only)
Unincorporated county land — NOT the national forest, NOT the state park
This order has expired. It ran out on September 8, 2026. Whether it was extended, reissued, or allowed to lapse is not confirmed here — check with the agency linked below before you light anything. The rules underneath are what the expired order said, kept for reference only.
In effect from 12:00am Wednesday, July 22, 2026 through 11:59pm Tuesday, September 8, 2026 - unless suspended or terminated at an earlier date.
Larimer County does not use “Stage 1/Stage 2” terminology — despite what many websites say. It is a recorded resolution.
Not allowed
- Contained Open Fires - open fire in a permanently constructed, stationary masonry or metal fireplace specifically designed for combustion. Does NOT include fireplaces or wood stoves inside a permanent structure.
- Uncontained Open Fires - campfire, recreational fire, bonfire, firepit, coal/wood/pellet stove, any charcoal, wood or pellet fuelled cooking, uncontained fire of any type in an undeveloped area including camp and cooking fires, welding, or operating acetylene or other torches with open flames.
- Combustible Devices - any object which is flammable, explodes or is designed to or may cause fire, including sky lanterns, exploding ammunition, exploding targets and tracer ammunition.
- Operating any device with an internal or external combustion engine without a spark arrest device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order. Operating a chainsaw, gas-powered or electric, also requires the presence of a shovel to extinguish sparks caused by rock strikes.
Still allowed
- Gas or Liquid Fueled Fires - fires fuelled by bottled gas or pressurised liquid, including portable heaters, cooking stoves, heating stoves, hiking/camping stoves, grills, firepits and fireplaces.
- Fireplaces or wood stoves located inside a permanent structure, such as a residential dwelling or commercial business.
- Open Burning - fire intentionally used for forest management.
- Exempt: anyone holding a written fire entry and activity permit authorising the otherwise prohibited act.
- Exempt: fires fuelled solely by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels.
- Exempt: activities in designated areas where specifically authorised by written posted notice.
Unclear
- Smoking: the Sheriff’s announcement says smoking in the open is not allowed, including on trails, parks and open spaces — but the signed resolution itself does not list smoking among its restrictions (checked against the recorded PDF, 2026-07-29). Treat the announcement as the safer guide.
Penalty: Violation of this Resolution shall be an unlawful act and subject to enforcement pursuant to Section 8 and Section 9 of the 2022 Ordinance.
Jackson County — including State Forest State Park
Over Cameron Pass: State Forest State Park & the Gould/Walden side
In effect since 12:01am July 3, 2026 — until further notice. Jackson went to Stage 1 on June 18 and escalated to Stage 2 on July 3.
Not allowed
- Building, maintaining, attending or using any open fire or open burning — campfires, warming fires, charcoal grill fires, slash fires, and burning trash or debris.
- Fireworks of any kind, and the lighting of fused explosives.
- Colorado Parks & Wildlife states it plainly for the park: open fire, campfire or open flame outdoors is prohibited INCLUDING in developed campgrounds and picnic areas — and that includes charcoal grills, BBQs, coal and wood-burning stoves.
Still allowed
- Stoves, lanterns, heating devices and appliances fueled by bottled or liquid gas — the device must meet underwriter’s safety specifications and have a regulator and gas control that let you turn the flame on and off.
- Fires in fireplaces inside buildings.
- Charcoal grills at private residences and retail food establishments — this does NOT cover your campsite.
- Professional fireworks displays authorized by the local governing body.
Penalty: $1,000 plus a $10 surcharge per offense; a class 2 petty offense under Colorado law.
The three-foot rule is a federal rule
Only the Forest Service requires your gas stove or fire pit to sit in an area cleared of flammable material for three feet around it. Larimer and Jackson set no clearance distance — but it’s the safest habit for the whole corridor, so just do it everywhere.
The chainsaw rule gets STRICTER when you leave the national forest
Counterintuitive, but true: the Canyon Lakes order has no chainsaw clause at all, while Larimer County requires a working spark arrester AND a shovel on hand — for gas or electric saws. Cutting firewood on county land? Bring the shovel.
Smoking rules change at the forest boundary
In Roosevelt National Forest, smoking is allowed only inside an enclosed vehicle or building. Jackson County’s ordinance doesn’t address smoking. Larimer’s own two sources disagree with each other. The safe move corridor-wide: only in your vehicle, and pack out the butt.
Larimer’s end date is not an all-clear
Larimer County’s restrictions are set to expire 11:59pm on July 21, 2026 — and they may be extended. Even if they lapse, they only ever covered unincorporated county land. The national forest order runs through December 31, and Jackson County’s has no end date at all. The canyon does not open back up on July 22.
Verified against the official orders on 2026-07-29. Fire restrictions change fast — always confirm with the agency before you travel.
Take the Backcountry With You — Offline
Cell service gives out about the time the pavement does. Both Larimer Wilds apps keep working with no signal at all — every trail and back road within reach of your campsite, and every water worth a cast, right in your pocket.
Larimer Wilds Trails
Every trail & back road in Larimer County — offline, in your pocket, even with no signal.
- Every trail, fully offline
- Live “you-are-here” arrow
- Live distance, time & pace
- Off-trail & wrong-way alerts
- Fire bans & trail closures
- Add your own photos & notes
Installs to your phone’s home screen — no app store.
Larimer Wilds Fishing
Every water in NW Larimer County — what’s stocked & where, refreshed weekly from Colorado Parks & Wildlife.
- 48+ waters mapped, fully offline
- Real “last stocked” dates, updated weekly
- Live-GPS to the water & the access point
- Elevation, access, boating & ice-fishing notes
Installs to your phone’s home screen — no app store.