Pike-San Isabel National Forests are under Stage 2 fire restrictions through mid-November. Forest Order 02-12-00-26-29 bans wood and charcoal fires on six named ranger districts from August 2, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. through November 14, 2026, at 11:59 p.m., unless the order is rescinded earlier.
According to the official U.S. Forest Service Stage 2 alert for Pike-San Isabel, liquid or gas devices that turn on and off remain allowed only when the ground is barren or cleared three feet around the device. The traveler decision is immediate for anyone camping, backpacking, or grilling on those forest lands: leave wood and charcoal at home and pack a compliant stove.
- Where: Pikes Peak, South Platte, South Park, Leadville, Salida, and San Carlos Ranger Districts.
- When: August 2 through November 14, 2026, unless rescinded.
- Order: Forest Order 02-12-00-26-29, signed July 30, 2026.
- Banned: Wood or charcoal fires, grills, and campfires, including in developed campgrounds.
- Allowed cooking: Liquid or gas devices with an on and off control and a three-foot clear zone.
What the order bans on the ground
The written prohibitions are broader than a vague “be careful with fire” poster. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, charcoal barbecue, or grill is prohibited except for a device solely fueled by liquid or gas that can be turned on and off in an area barren or cleared of all flammable materials within three feet of the device.
Smoking is prohibited except inside an enclosed vehicle or building. Welding or operating an acetylene or other open-flame torch is prohibited. Using an explosive is prohibited. Motor vehicles must stay on National Forest System roads except when parking on bare ground within ten feet of the vehicle.
That last vehicle rule matters for dispersed campers who normally pull a few car-lengths off the road into dry grass. Under Stage 2, the safe default is bare dirt or rock within ten feet of the car, not a soft pullout full of litter and grass.
Exemptions are narrow. People with a specific Forest Service permit, and federal, state, or local officers or organized firefighting forces on official duty, can be exempt. Ordinary recreation visitors are not.
Which districts are covered and why it matters for a Colorado trip
The Described Area is all National Forest System lands, roads, and trails inside the exterior boundaries of the Pikes Peak, South Platte, South Park, Leadville, Salida, and San Carlos Ranger Districts. That is the mountain front-range and central mountain belt many travelers use for weekend camping near Colorado Springs, Denver-front range corridors, and central Rockies trailheads.
It is not a full statewide ban written as one line. Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands appear in the forest unit name, but this Stage 2 order text targets the six ranger districts listed above. Travelers heading to other forests should still check those units separately.
The Forest Service alerts page also shows high or very high fire danger across multiple districts while the order is live. Stage 2 is the legal rule set. Fire danger is the weather and fuel context that explains why the rule set exists. Travelers who only check a weather app for cooler nights can still be inside a Stage 2 order with the same wood and charcoal ban.
Colorado outdoor reporting has treated front-range and central mountain fire restrictions as a summer packing constant when fuels stay dry. The usable practice is the same whether a local outlet restates the order or not: open the Forest Service primary page, confirm the district list, and pack as if developed campground rings do not create a loophole. That discipline is what keeps a weekend trip legal when conditions look deceptively calm after a brief shower.
For a traveler staging a trip around Pikes Peak or South Platte trailheads, Deep Arrival’s Colorado Springs destination guide still helps with town logistics. The Stage 2 order is the forest-side packing rule that sits on top of any city hotel or restaurant plan.
How to pack and camp under Stage 2
Pack a liquid or gas stove with a true shutoff, not a solid-fuel tablet stove and not charcoal. Clear a three-foot bare circle before lighting. Keep the device attended. That is the only cooking path the order explicitly protects.
Do not assume a metal fire ring in a developed campground creates an exception. The prohibition language covers campfires and charcoal grills even when the social expectation is “rings are fine.” Under Stage 2, rings do not rewrite the order.
Smoke only inside an enclosed vehicle or building. Roadside smoking breaks on dry needles are out. If you need a smoke break, get fully into a closed vehicle or a building, not half out a door over dry litter.
Park on bare ground within ten feet of the vehicle. Do not invent a new campsite by driving across grass. Dispersed camping is still possible where otherwise allowed, but the vehicle footprint must meet the bare-ground rule.
Penalties are real. The order states that a violation is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.
What is confirmed and what to recheck
Confirmed facts are the order number, the six ranger districts, the August 2 start, the November 14 end, the campfire and charcoal ban, the liquid or gas stove exemption with a three-foot clear zone, the smoking and vehicle rules, and the penalty frame. The Forest Service also posts a map appendix with the Described Area.
Open items are local site notices that can stack on top of Stage 2, temporary area closures for active fires, and any early rescission if weather improves. The alerts board currently lists other closures, including fire-related area closures, that travelers must read separately.
Before a weekend trip, open the Pike-San Isabel alerts page again and the Forest Service interactive fire restrictions map that the forest links from its fire pages. Stage 2 can remain in force even when a single day looks cooler or wetter.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Camp on Pike or San Isabel through November 14 | Skip wood and charcoal; bring a liquid or gas stove with a three-foot clear zone. |
| Use a developed campground ring | Do not light a wood or charcoal fire; Stage 2 still bans those devices. |
| Disperse camp with a vehicle | Park on bare ground within ten feet of the vehicle and stay on NFS roads. |
| Smoke outside | Smoke only in an enclosed vehicle or building. |
| Plan after a cold front | Recheck the Stage 2 alert before assuming the order has ended. |
- Packing: Leave wood and charcoal kits out of the car for forest trips through November 14.
- Stove rule: Use only liquid or gas devices with an on and off control and a three-foot bare buffer.
- Day-before check: Reopen the forest Stage 2 alert and any active fire area closures before departure.
Through November 14, treat Pike-San Isabel Stage 2 as a hard packing rule: no wood or charcoal fires, only liquid or gas stoves with a three-foot clear zone, and a day-before recheck of the forest alerts board.
Are campfires allowed in developed campgrounds under Stage 2?
No. The order bans building or using a fire, campfire, charcoal barbecue, or grill except for qualifying liquid or gas devices with a three-foot clear zone.
Which ranger districts are covered?
Pikes Peak, South Platte, South Park, Leadville, Salida, and San Carlos Ranger Districts of the Pike-San Isabel National Forests.
When do the restrictions end?
The order runs through November 14, 2026, at 11:59 p.m., unless the Forest Service rescinds it earlier.
Can I use a propane stove?
Yes, if it is solely fueled by liquid or gas, can be turned on and off, and sits in an area barren or cleared three feet of flammable materials.
What is the order number?
Forest Order 02-12-00-26-29, signed July 30, 2026, by the forest and grassland supervisor.
