Eagle County Sheriff issues Grizzly Creek Fire closure warning for hikers, bikers

The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday issued the following warning against intrusions into the Grizzly Creek Fire closure areas:

Grizzly Creek Fire, CO. –  This week fire teams are seeing very dangerous intrusions into the Grizzly Creek Fire closure areas.  A strong reminder is being sent out to encourage all types of recreational users on the roads, trails, or in the vicinity of the closures to please keep out.  These intrusions are hindering fire fighting operations and creating a very dangerous environment for users and fire operation crews.

Mountain bike riders have been encountered on the Coffee Pot Road and in the Spring Valley area within the boundaries of the closure. Fire operations teams are asking that bikers please not put themselves into potentially dangerous situations with fire crews are hauling heavy equipment to and from the various fire locations and camps.  In addition to heavy equipment, fire crews, division supervisors, safety officers, and support personnel communicate via handheld radios to coordinate the safe movement of suppression, repair, and support operations.  Mountain bikers and hikers are a distraction and put themselves and the fire personnel at risk.

‘Know Before you Go’ that hazards exist and closures are for everyone’s safety. Please use trails and roads that are nowhere near the Grizzly Creek Fire perimeters. We are blessed with hundreds of miles of trails and roads here in Eagle and Garfield Counties and there is plenty of access to other area trails and roads where anyone can safely ride, hike, and walk.  There are plenty of other areas in both counties as well as in the USFS, BLM, and CO State Parks & Wildlife lands.  

Please yield to all the fire crews, and give them plenty of space to work.  No one wants to see users in an unsafe situation or to create potentially dangerous situations for the teams who are here working to extinguish the many spot fires that are burning within the Grizzly Creek Fire perimeter. 

White River National Forest announced on Aug 17, 2020
CLOSURES in the Grizzly Creek Fire area: 
The area closure in the vicinity of the Grizzly Creek Fire has been expanded to include Sweetwater. The restricted area extends from the east boundary at the Colorado River Road in Dotsero to the south at the White River National Forest boundary in Glenwood Canyon, to the north at the southern boundary of the Flat Tops Wilderness, and to the west near Adams Lake. View closure order and map (pdf). 

For updates in the White River National Forest lands please visit their website HERE: or at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/whiteriver/alerts-notices