Forest Service urges caution as Dolores County backcountry roads muddy up
Muddy spring runoff has left many Dolores County backcountry routes unsafe, with elk and deer closures holding until May 1 and some high-country roads still snowbound.
Mud and snow are still making many Dolores County backcountry roads too soft for safe travel, and San Juan National Forest officials said drivers, hikers, bikers and riders should stay off wet routes until they dry out. In the Dolores and Pagosa ranger districts, some roads are opening earlier than usual, but closures protecting elk and deer remain in place until May 1.
Forest officials said the safest options right now are lower-elevation roads, gravel routes and paved paths that have already dried out. Higher country travel can turn dangerous fast as warm weather and melting snow leave behind snowdrifts, standing water and downed trees. Going around muddy sections can also widen and braid trails, which sends more sediment into waterways and leaves lasting damage.
The Dolores Ranger District, led by District Ranger Nick Mustoe, manages 597,373 acres in Dolores, Montezuma and San Miguel counties, stretching west of the La Plata Mountains and north to Lizard Head Pass. Forest staff said the Motor Vehicle Use Map is the legal travel document for motorized use on the forest, and damaged bridges or culverts should be reported rather than crossed. The agency also warned that the public and counties do not rescue stranded vehicles.
The caution comes after severe flooding from Oct. 10-13, 2025 damaged roads and bridges on the Columbine and Pagosa ranger districts. Wilderness trail bridges on Vallecito Creek and the West Fork were destroyed, and replacements are not expected until at least 2027. Repair work funded through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads program is expected to begin as early as spring 2026 and continue through 2027.
Access is improving in stages, not all at once. The Columbine Ranger District will begin opening low-elevation roads May 1, while upper-elevation and backcountry roads will not open until June 1 or later, depending on conditions. On the Dolores side, the district announced April 1 that motorized boating access at McPhee Reservoir would open April 15, with the House Creek boat ramp following May 1, a sign that spring access is expanding but still uneven across the forest.
Sources:
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
